NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov traded comments today on Afghanistan, with Rasmussen pushing Russia and China to pay for the massive NATO-created Afghan military after the 2014 “end” to the war and Lavrov suggesting that NATO just not end the war in 2014.
“We would welcome financial contributions from Russia, China and other countries,” Rasmussen noted, as the question of how the $4 billion annual expense is going to be paid for continues to be a hot issue of debate among NATO member nations.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai tried to address some of this issue earlier this week, demanding the US pledge a minimum of $2 billion a year as a condition for keeping occupation troops in the nation through 2024. Britain has promised $110 million annually.
Lavrov was critical of the whole discussion, insisting that the 2014 date was “artificial” and that if Afghanistan is such a mess NATO just shouldn’t leave. Of course unspoken in this is that NATO doesn’t actually plan to leave in 2014, and the date is mostly illusory as the start of a “transition” likely to last many years, with the US openly negotiating for at least another decade of war beyond that date.
Wow, what the world is coming to? NATO (North Atlantic Terrorist Organization) is destroying Afghanistan and wants Russia and China to pay for it?
Foggy Rasmussen figures Russia and China ought to fork over? For the Afghaniscam? Oh that's funny and hysterically so. Hey Foggy? Don't hold your breath waiting on a check.
You know, I had my suspicions about Foggy's sanity. Yup, I was absolutely correct. The man is howling-at-the-moon freaking nuts.
Oh. they will get "help" al right!
I reckon the Russians will pay back for the US-delivered Stingers and newly formed al-Qaeda that bleeded the Soviets out of the Afghan mess in the 80´s. Russia wants an end to the heroin trade that the drug lords NATO and CIA have started up to it´s former glory since the invasion anyway, from Afghanistan via Kosovo and back and straight into Russia. Sitting duck, Foggy, that´s what you are…
This reminds me of the smug, asinine talk of the Soviet helicopter gunship crews turning to confused terror in the film "Charlie Wilson's War," as the Stingers started bringing down their killing machines. I wonder how similar it will be for the smug, asinine US helicopter gunship crews when Russian shoulder-fired missiles start bringing down the FedGov killing machines.
The US is entering a phase where it seems that management of the Empire is getting increasingly difficult.
A prolonged stalemate in Afghanistan is just what the doctor ordered to weaken the Empire.
So China and Russia will not work to end that war. Putin is tough and has seen what the US did to Russia in violation of every pledge made at the end of the Cold War. He is not likely to be fooled again.
And the neocons and MICC also want the war to grind on for different reason. They still hope for a victory and there are many $$$ to be made on every war – the longer the war the bigger the profits.
Ha Ha Ha Ha …
US and NATO have forced Afghanistan to create a military that is so large there is no way that Afghanistan could possibly pay for it on its own. Therefore Afghanistan is going to "need" foreign western troops there forever to pick up the slack.
If all foreign troops would stop trying to "help" Afghanistan, Afghanistan wouldn't even need a military.
Oh for the days when the only foreigners in the country were hippie tourists!
Hubris run amuck surely leads to insanity:
Dear Russia and China,
As our plans to monopolize the worlds energy supplies through military aggression on lesser nations, so that we can strangle you into surrendering to US without a fight, is running into budgetary restrictions, we would like you to kindly contribute your monies to help support the maintenance of our Imperial Storm Troopers.
Disregards,
The Empire
When NATO reimburses the Russians for the costs of their invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, maybe China and Russia would not snicker at the absurd suggestion that they help a NATO backed government in Afghanistan.
This plan can be filed under the heading, "It never hurts to ask." Considering the immoral shamelessness of NATO and its constituent members, I'm surprised they didn't ask earlier.
a really dense fog
What a brilliant strategy! Invade all they countries they want, f*ck them all up, steal all they can and then hand the bill over to Russia and China. I'm willing to bet that a Republican came up with that brainstorm. Of course, indirectly, China has already paid for it.