President Obama’s high profile drawdown announcement may mean virtually nothing on the ground in Afghanistan, but its rhetorical value as a “beginning of the end” announcement is enormous, and has major war participants France and Britain looking to follow along.
Almost immediately after President Obama spoke, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that his nation’s announcements would come “in a timeframe similar to the pullback of the American reinforcements.”
British Prime Minister David Cameron also, as was widely expected, announced that their own drawdown might be escalated, with reports that Britain will announce the exact timing of their withdrawal in July. British military commanders have lashed Cameron for his eagerness to exit Afghanistan in recent weeks.
Not everyone is making for the exits, however. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard says that her government’s current plan to keep troops in the nation until 2014 is unchanged in the wake of the announcement.
“ Even as there will be dark days ahead in Afghanistan, the light of secure peace can be seen in the distance.”
Very poetic.., Mr. President.., the reality is that you are about to make a deal paying Taliban.., as US been paying Pakistani Army and other regimes for years.., just for one or two US military bases being present there.., what is missing here is the amount.., we just want to know the amount if is 20M per week, 200M per moths, or "#¤%&/(/&%%¤#" Billion dollars a year and for how many years and who is paying it.., if it comes from Goldman Sachs.., Chase Bank or the English – Italian – France Banks, because people don't have any to pay for your deals.
Britain is getting a lot of flock from its subjects. And Libya wants to jump in feet first into Libya (in case they hadn't done so already). No, there's nothing to brag about here.