Officials are scrambling to defend a secret order by President Obama which completely abandons the pretense of the Afghan War ending at the end of 2014, ordering troops to continue to carry out “direct combat operations” throughout 2015, and potentially beyond.
They are now insisting the move is aimed at “protecting” the new Ghani government in Afghanistan which they describe as much more grateful for the 13+ year occupation than Hamid Karzai was.
In practice this just means Ghani is more willing to sign off on expanding the war above and beyond what the “through 2024 and beyond” pact, which is supposed to take effect in January, would otherwise allow.
For years NATO has been escalating the Afghan War and carrying out policies in open defiance of the Karzai government, particularly as it relates to airstrikes against cities. This has been a constant PR struggle, however, and Ghani seems to be extremely pliable in that regard.
This means that the planned expansion of the 2015 war may just be the first step toward a broader extension of the occupation, now that they finally have an Afghan president, at least sort of elected, who will go along with the idea.
Oh, maybe he just thought that he could please the conservatives that said he ended the Iraq war too soon. In any case, we all knew that none of the US wars in the ME were ending. They're just getting going and there's Syria and Iran to do yet. Gen. Clarke already spilled the beans on the details of the PNAC. And besides, Israel says so too!
Somebody please by every member of the US Government a couple of history books. Afghanistan will continue to kill anyone who invades their country as they have throughout history. Ask Britain and Russia for their views on the subject.
The world would like to thank America for keeping the biggest drug producing area of the world in business as well.
The US really is a special country is it not? Not as special as that self described democracy in the ME, but special in it's own special way.