Visiting Afghanistan today, new Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel expressed confidence in the ability of the Afghan government to “assume full responsibility for security by the end of 2014,” adding that it was “clear and achievable.”
Though Hagel included the typical “dangerous and difficult missions” ahead caveat, the comments may suggest that the newly appointed secretary may be leaning toward a smaller US presence in Afghanistan after 2014.
This would put him in opposition to Centcom head Gen. James Mattis, who earlier this week expressed support for a US and NATO deployment dramatically larger than what officials have been indicating was likely, calling for 13,600 US troops and 7,000 other NATO troops post-2014, more or less in perpetuity.
Hagel hasn’t specifically come out on the matter of specific troop levels, but has been seen as skeptical of open-ended military commitments and his suggestion of specific, finite goals may point to him setting the stage for an argument to reduce troop levels.
But we know that the Afghan government wont be able to assume responsibility by 2014 — or 2024 for that matter, so what happens when these "clear and achievable" goals aren't achieved? Does the US tuck its tail and leave in defeat — my guess is that would be bad for the President who wants to look good on national security. A Taliban takeover — granted it might not happen immediately, but it sounds like it would be soon enough — would be the worst advertisement in that regard. The American government is populated by people who want to project national greatness, so I can't imagine they will leave unless they can somehow spin a Taliban takeover of Kabul as a victory or are physically forced to in some manner.
Hagel starts to descend into Bizarre world. As time goes on, it will worse. Soon he'll be sounding like Kerry and the others. I hope I am wrong.
What Secretary Hagel really said:
1. Assist Afghans in growing opium
2. Assist Afghans in harvesting opium
3. Assist Afghanst in loading opium on Amerikan trucks
4. Shipping said opium to Amerika and to the Amerikan people where when they are caught using it, they receive mandatory 20 year sentencs from the courts.
Yes, Secretary Hagel, those goals are very CLEAR and very ACHIEVABLE…………..
Hagel is merely now a puppet for Obama. Obama moves his lips, Hagel speaks. That's it.
Good work, Justin! You've applauded a puppet as a major victory for the antiwar movement.
The reality of course is that Afghanistan's government is toast once the US leaves. The Taliban will come back in force, the Northern Alliance will fight them, and it will be civil war for the next decade, destroying whatever improvements have been made in the country – if any, which is doubtful.
But, boy, those military-industrial complex corporations should made a $100 billion a year killing over the last decade! Now let's get the Iran war going so we can double or triple or quadruple that killing!
Hagel and Kerry sure as hell aren't going to stop it.
Jamie,
Please tell me that you did not drink the Justin Raimondo kool-aid that he was serving in Hagel. Antiwar.com only liked Hagel because the Israel lobby and their stupid lapdog Israel-firsters like the crackers John Insane McCain, Fagsey Graham of South Carolina, and Joey Avigdor Lieberman of CT were all against him. Well, sorry to break the bad news to ya, but anyone with two brain cells to rub together knew that installing Hagel or putting Killary Klinton at defense would make no difference on Amerikan warmongering……………