The Pentagon has announced that a high profile visit by a number of Afghan cabinet members, including the Defense and Interior Ministers, has been cancelled over the growing unrest and massive anti-NATO protests in the country.
The cancellation reflects the enormous decline in US relations with the Afghan government after last week’s Quran burning at the US military base in Bagram. The burnings have caused major protests and attacks on NATO targets nationwide.
Meanwhile, speaking about the rising anti-US sentiment in the Afghanistan, retired Gen. Jack Keane says that the Afghan civilians’ desire for respect is “what is driving this” and that the Taliban and other opposition factions are exploiting the incident to their own ends.
Other than a controversial and fiercely debated “apology,” the administration has done virtually nothing in response to the unrest. Ambassador Ryan Crocker warned against making any policy changes in the face of the protests, saying that the US should “let things calm down” and “get on with business.”
There's a side here that no one mentions: Nato forces cannot possibly pull out before end 2014, and may have to leave substantial equipment. The road is closed, how will they get out? If it's a "fall of Saigon" scenario, what are they going to do? Very dicey.
"Get on with business". Translation: dishing out lies and false pretenses leading to unnecessary death and destruction and vast profits for the 1%.
"…exploiting the incident to their own ends…" Keane…what an ass. Of course they are exploiting the incident, we would too under the same circumstances. Besides, how does anyone seriously expect a 2-hour "sensitivity" training session to overcome 10 years of constant "the Muslim's goal is to convert or kill all American Christians" and " the Muslim are inferior to us because we are God's chosen" propaganda that has been preached for years?
It wasn't an "incident. It was the result of years and years of training.