The US has begun negotiations with the Kabul government over the extension of troop presence past 2014, despite repeated claims by the Obama administration that the war in Afghanistan will come to an end that year.
Vice President Joe Biden, during last week’s debate with VP candidate Paul Ryan, told tens of millions of Americans, yet again, that the US is leaving Afghanistan in 2014.
“We are leaving in 2014, period, and in the process, we’re going to be saving over the next 10 years another $800 billion,” Biden said. “We’ve been in this war for over a decade. The primary objective is almost completed. Now all we’re doing is putting the Kabul government in a position to be able to maintain their own security. It’s their responsibility, not America’s.”
But US and Afghan negotiators met in Kabul last week to talk about the formal security agreement that will govern the presence of US troops past 2014. And more such meetings are already set to take place.
This has been a long time coming. Reports have been coming out for almost a year saying that Washington has been working on a deal with Kabul to keep US troops in Afghanistan at least until 2024, a full decade beyond the withdrawal date the Obama administration has been touting.
NATO on Monday also announced it will also keep international troops in Afghanistan past 2014 alongside US troops, supposedly in training and advisory roles.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that “Western officials have mentioned the residual American force as ranging from a few thousand to some 20,000.”
“In addition,” writes Micah Zenko, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, “some US policymakers assume that Afghanistan will serve as hub for special operations raids and drone strikes into Pakistan.”
The complete and utter failure of the US and its NATO allies to get anything constructive done in Afghanistan for the past 11 years should be testament enough that another 11 years won’t do any good either.
The stated mission of the US in the war in Afghanistan has been to eliminate the Taliban and al-Qaeda and prevent their return by building up a stable Afghan government and independent security forces. Every one of these goals have been objective failures, and experts and commentators across the political spectrum acknowledge this.
The fact that the insurgency in Afghanistan is as strong as ever, even after 11 years of facing off against the world’s most advanced military, is an indication that it will remain alive and well so long as there are any occupation forces on the ground and so long as the Kabul government is propped up by hostile foreign governments. Staying in Afghanistan beyond 2014 – indeed, beyond tomorrow – makes no strategic, or moral sense.
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Sweet Jeeezus! They just never quit do they?! This basically says that they want, like Korea and elsewhere, to stay FOREVER.
VP Joe Biden, in his debate with Rep. Paul Ryan last week, adamantly stated that ALL US troops would be out of Afghanistan by 2014, no later.
Now, the Obama Regime is backing off this plan. Sorry, the statement that the troops would all be out by 2014 is a LIE. We've been in Afghanistan way too long now at 11 years. How many more young lives will be wasted by this new decision? Tell me; who wants to be the last serviceman or woman to die needlessly?
The Brits plan to be out in 2013. They're smarter than the Americans. So, what the hell is the Obama Regime thinking about – telling us all US troops will be out by 2014; then, reversing that decision? They LIED; that's why. Hey, Obama, be honest with us and stand by your promise to completely withdraw by 2014. The troops demand it. The costs in lives and treasure are way too high for these shenanigans; the suicide rate in the military is very high and rising. Does he care about the dire consequences these lies will cause?
I'm voting Third Party.
So…where's the news? Has the US ever left any of the countries it has invaded? Why should Afghanistan be the first?
Yes Budd, the US left both Vietnam and Iraq, against their will.
The Talaban may just lock their doors and make the US fight its way out. The supplies get through only because the Talaban receive bribes, otherwise US troops would have to airlift everything. There is a new influx of missing Stinger rockets in the region which could greatly reduce any airlift of troops or supplies. Staying behind could become a very, very bad thing.
Well, actually it left Vietnam but Uncle Scam doesn't like to talk about it.
They need another ten years to get the pipeline in.
This new timing is very much in keeping with the "progress" being made on the TAPI pipeline, including Turkmenistan's announcement to begin its section of the pipeline which would not be completed until 2017, and the US's purported behind the scenes negotiations with the Taliban. If a deal can be cut with the Taliban, but the Taliban cannot co-exist with Karzai, perhaps we should expect Karzai to be thrown under the bus?
Sounds like a land and resource grab disguised as humanitarian concerns, establishing peace and democracy. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck…it probably is a duck!
"claims by the Obama administration that the war in Afghanistan will come to an end that year." How do wars just suddenly stop at a particular year? Why not 2015/2016? This just shows how wars are orchestrated, from beginning to no end…
Biden is so adamant when he lies. The nerve, him repeating, "do you want war?", "do you want war?" What a hypocrite when we're dropping bombs by drones and starting a war with Syria. How this race can be close with all the bs those two are flinging is beyond me.