Though usually the Obama Administration is emphasizing the “zero option” for Afghanistan in an attempt to coax President Hamid Karzai into giving in to their demands, officials say the focus right now is on a 3,000 troop plan.
The plan would leave behind 3,000 occupation troops, pretty much entirely at Kabul and Bagram, for a more or less open-ended “counter-terrorism operation” that officials intend to present as something less than a war, despite continued combat.
Pentagon commanders are said to be opposed to this plan, and are pushing one that includes at least 10,000 stay-behind troops in a similarly open-ended occupation role. Other options are being discussed that might end the occupation in 2016, though these don’t seem favored by officials.
Officials say they’re not really talking to Karzai about signing off on a troop deal anymore “because it doesn’t get us anywhere.” Rather, they’re figuring on having the plans in place and then getting Karzai’s successor to sign off on whatever they decide.
Yer kidding me, Mr. Karzai. The obvious agreement to pursue–and you should accept nothing less–is the one that allows both the Afghan gov't the pursuit of war criminals in the US, including any suspects in their homes, until at least 2080, and drone bases in northern Virginia for the pursuit of same. Such criminals and suspects, upon capture, to be held indefinitely that they may spin tales to your hearts delight –or until explicit intelligence proves their innocence posthumously (whereupon they may be tossed into the sea and all photographs and video destroyed).
Oh, and: no, no foreign force stays in Afghanistan.
The main difference is Bush had a good relationship with Karzai as Afghanistan was in a strategic holding pattern and Karzai was not being asked to do anything. Come late 2008/2009 it was game on, time to step up to the plate and bring your A game. That is why Obama has a bad relationship with him. He is notwilling to be a leader and do what is expected of him. Bush would have the same relationship with Karzai as Obama does for those reasons. The thing is the election could take weeks, the Taliban will try to disrupt it, then there will be a runoff which takes into June and then the result may be in dispute and back to the polls. That goes past July. And 6 months is needed to withdraw. Plus there is the risk every time there is elections of civil war and no knows if the next President will sign or want to renegotiate. That is why you have to have at least three counters in place.