In his first major interview with a US newspaper in years, outgoing Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he believes the US-led occupation of his country was not in Afghanistan’s interest, and had led to many Afghan deaths for a war that was not their own.
Rather, Karzai says he believes the war was primarily in the US government’s interest, and continued despite the threat of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan being “more a myth than a reality.”
Karzai also reiterated his opposition to signing the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), saying it was something the US should simply take up with his successor at this point. Karzai’s term ends next month.
The BSA as presently written would keep US troops on the ground in Afghanistan “through 2024 and beyond.” President Obama demanded the pact be signed by the end of 2013, though Karzai refused.
Sounds like a easonably good job. That should put pressure on the successor.
“more a myth than a reality.” Agreed.
the war was primarily in the US government’s interest At a minimum, you'd have to narrow it further than just USg for that to be true. It'd be most helpful if you could point us to someone to hang…
"…point us to someone to hang…" Nice, right to the point.
Fat chance of any of the real villians ever being made to pay for the deaths and destruction they have caused.
Did you just say "minimum?" Those military bases are crucial to the US especially to the crisis between Russia and the Ukraine. That's why Obama is waiting out Karzai, because he knew having those bases would be easily to intimidate Iran and Russia.
Jtt better look at a map. Russia doesn't border Afghanistan at all (only former Soviet republics, which are thousands of miles from main Russian cities/infrastructure) and very few operations by the US are anywhere near Iran (other than possible black op staging sites). Getting anything into Afghanistan is hugely expensive, trucking dangerous Pakistan or from the north via air/land routes.
No actual military strategist would consider doing anything from Afghanistan to either Russia or Iran. Way too far. Really, just look at any decent map. Eastern Iran is totally barren desert.
Not if Karzai has won out in the contest to pick the next president.
I think the days of intimidating any Nation that weilds a nuclear capability is long over.
Thats why this mad crusade to stop Iran ever getting their hands on nuclear weapons.
Once they achieve this (although they heve made no effort to build them) they too will be free of threats from Isreal and America
Suhprise! Suhprize! Suhprize1
It wasn't in anybody else's interest either – except Bechtel, Halliburton, KBR and the innumerable leeches who thrive on the military industrial complex of the USA.