Biden Vows US to Remain in Afghanistan ‘Well Beyond 2014′
Just Weeks Ago He Pledged US Would Be 'Totally Out of There' by 2014
The release of large amounts of classified documents has shown how eager the administration is to tell the American public the exact opposite of what they are telling one another. It seems that the classification system isn’t even necessary for this, however, as Vice President Biden, fresh off of pledging to the American people that the US would be totally out of Afghanistan “come hell or high water, by 2014” has now told a completely different story to Afghan officials.
“We are not leaving in 2014,” Biden assured President Hamid Karzai during a news conference in Kabul, insisting that the US was prepared to continue with its military occupation “well beyond 2014.”
Biden, who had previously chastised Karzai for his corruption, praised him today for his “leadership” through nearly a decade of failed NATO military adventures. Karzai, who has recently been condemning the US for killing large numbers of civilians, spent his time praising the US for its “contributions.”
Currently there are some 150,000 NATO troops, predominantly from the United States, and NATO estimates that there are 25,000 Taliban forces in the country, which is the exact same estimate they made a year ago. Despite claims of “progress” in the war, violence is still on the rise across the nation.
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thedissenter
January 11th, 2011 at 9:14 am
Yeah, yeah, yeah. The US will stay in Afghanistan past 2014…provided there is a US in 2014. That prospect is looking bleaker and bleaker every day.
JDonald
January 11th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
The latest Wikilieaks has shown how many sides of the American mouth there really are. If it was difficult to understand what the USA was saying before these disclosures, it will now be harder for anyone to believe anything the USA says publically. Jesus said, "Let you yeahs be yeahs and your nays be nays" and that is still a pretty good standard. Using the English language to be clever and deceitful should be made a crime. In fact, it is in some cases.
andy
January 11th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
The USA only leaves a country when it is forced too.
pendulum
January 11th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Biden resume; advanced degree in goofiness, held administrative position over other goofs, been goofy since hatched.
Robert
January 11th, 2011 at 3:40 pm
The way our fascist government works is beautiful.
They will simply "do what thou will" as prescribed by Aleistar Crowley, invade a nation and stay, stay, stay there as long as they please.
Then, despite all the protestations of the adults out here, we will simply get old and go away while an entire younger generation who has known no different will protest and wonder why we are leaving if and ever the time comes.
These people are truly diabolical if not demonic and certainly are not to be trusted in anything they say.
Some of us have long been savvy to their ways as it has remain unchanged for millenia.
persnipoles
January 11th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
<Despite claims of “progress” in the war, violence is still on the rise across the nation> The minute youre name for 'the enemy' is 'terrorism,' that's damn well what 'progress' means. If perpetual war were the goal, the 'terrorist' solved the unsolvable problem: that 'the enemy' might someday be scarce.
Russ
January 11th, 2011 at 6:34 pm
I think they needed to say these things to reassure the pakistanis and afghans, who fear, rightfully, that we will leave.
Montaigne
January 12th, 2011 at 5:11 am
And of course an American word is like solid…. DERIVATIVES? ACCOUNTABILITY? SPIN? CORRUPTION? TREATIES ON TORTURE and PRISONERS OF WAR? DOLLARS and DEBTS?
Bianca
January 12th, 2011 at 11:36 am
Karzai may fear, righfully, that we will leave. As for the rest of the population, they pray daily that we leave.
Jason Ditz « Antiwar Radio with Scott Horton and Charles Goyette
January 13th, 2011 at 4:42 am
[...] Ditz, managing news editor at Antiwar.com, discusses how Joe Biden was caught talking out both sides of his mouth on the 2014 Afghanistan withdrawal date; how Gen Petraeus is now claiming progress in small and [...]