Senator Lindsay Graham’s (R – SC) recent calls for the United States to formally establish permanent military bases in Afghanistan has provoked an official rejection by the Taliban, which says it proved the “colonialist motives of America” in the ongoing occupation.
Of course its no real mystery that the Taliban would reject the idea of permanent US military bases, even if as many believe the end of the war comes with a power-sharing agreement, but it appears to have presented a key rhetorical opportunity for the Taliban.
Polls have repeatedly shown the Afghan population getting more and more weary of the nearly decade long US occupation, and less willing to trust that the US and its NATO allies have some endgame strategy in mind. Permanent bases means permanent war for many, hardly a desirable situation.
Sen. Graham angrily responded to the Taliban rejection today, saying that the “enduring relationship” with Afghanistan was vital for the US and that the majority of Afghans don’t want a return to Taliban rule. This is true enough, but it doesn’t appear anything close to a majority is keen on the “enduring relationship” either.
