While officials have tried to mostly keep last year’s agreement to keep US troops in the nation through 2024 out of headlines, Afghan President Hamid Karzai brought considerable attention to the long-term US occupation today by announcing that they will be keeping nine bases across Afghanistan.
Karzai said that “very serious and delicate negotiations” are ongoing about the particulars, but that the nine bases would be given to them in return for security and economic pledges.
Karzai went on to say that he is ready to sign a formal pact on the specifics of those bases at any time, saying he believes keeping the US troops in Afghanistan is in his government’s interests.
His comments appear to have taken the US by surprise, with them looking to keep details of their post-2014 deployments quiet for now. Officials said that any comments on nine bases were “premature.” The US had previously indicated that only two bases, one in Kabul and Bagram Airfield, were to be kept.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
What a generous lapdog.., what a generous paid government of corruption.., only 9 us military bases.., which would be enough for Iran war.., but for now hamid karzai government is trying to cash in from the political situation in Pakistan.., I wonder karzai gets paid extra for his talks about Afghanistan "never will accept the Afghani and Pakistani border".., such talk is indicating the feature Afghan and Pakistan wars with USA having 9 military bases in Afghanistan..,
We said that long time ago…, from Lebanon to Syria to Iraq to Iran and Pakistan is of USA and EU interests and they will stop at nothing.
Without the US military power and the CIA money, Karzai would be hanging from a lamp post in short order.
Here, as with any foreign basing plan we must be circumspect. Nine US bases would allow for a continuation of a continuing covert intrigue and a pre-war erosive policy vis-a-vis Iran. In addition, Pakistan is clearly upset over the disabuse of their rights of sovereignty and multiple deaths of non-combatants via the US drone war. Afghanistan and Pakistan have in addition a long-standing disagreement over what they see as violations of their natural as opposed to demarcated borders. Though this dates to the British Raj era, it is as hot an issue this day as during the 19th century. American bases in Afghanistan would add to and encourage or foster additional policy differences and hence difficulties between Afghanistan, Pakistan and many of their neighbors as well.
Karzai has his brains scooped out from under that nonsense hat.
Interesting he says this after it's outed who's bribing him –less to lose after the loss of ambiguity? I guess he's also cozy with (effectively) admitting he needs foreigners for security? Months ago, there was also the story of demolishing bases there since Afghan's ~'wouldn't know what to do with them.' Might ask if that amounted to some leverage: think of wanton destruction of the most solid buildings around you and ask what you'd be willing to accept to stop it.
I've had trouble seeing Karzai as corrupt; he seems to take his peoples' side appropriately enough when the opportunity arises. …was I fooled? In any case, this is a net loss for Americans. Now they've got a foot-hold for sucking us dry with 9 "enduring" money pits with which to operate on Russia and the Caucasus http://www.corbettreport.com/interview-655-sibel-… .
Thanks a million persnipoles……… I'm so happy to have found this link… especially the Glaxio [x=d] background……… EVERYONE should know this important history…… Aw.c–'s A.K. hates S.E. bigtime….. Probably hides her stuff from Jr. It will be interesting to see if the comnt/link survives the day
I don't think we can be making predictions about 2024. We can see how crazy world politics are today and how many conflicts we have to deal with. We have no security for the next year…we can't be talking about a time so far away as 2024.