Speaking today on Meet the Press, Sen. Bob Corker (R – TN) was asked about long-term US military operations within Afghanistan. He conceded that it was likely that the US would have ground troops in Afghanistan through at least another decade.
The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001, and President Trump committed to a continued war there with seemingly no end in site just over a month ago. Reporters pointed out Corker’s entire term in office has been during the Afghan War, and that when he leaves, planned for 2019, the war will still be ongoing.
Corker admitted this would probably continue to be the case, but said the real question would be what troops are doing there in another ten years. Of course, the US has gone through pseudo-drawdowns in the past before reescalating the war.
The “decade” timespan appears to be less than the Pentagon is really talking about at this point, as officials seem to view Afghanistan, as with Iraq, as more or less a permanent occupation at this point, and have tried to get around controversy about troop levels decades into the war by announcing that troop levels will not be made public knowledge going forward.
Why?
Well, for our “freedoms,” of course. That’s always the fall-back response when there is no logical answer…and they use it a lot – with feeling and a scary, disheartening amount of belief.
I think we will see about that. I doubt that such neocon mouthpieces would survive elections much longer. How comfortable he is throwing our money away for no reason whatsoever. What are we afraid off? That Russia will take them, or China? We should be thfilled to pawn off the tribal country to anyone willing to step in. Since nobody will step in, Afghan givernment would have to actually do something, nit just balance the budget with US taxpayers’ money. But the poor war profiteers, what will they do? Look for some ither place on the globe they can start a new war. Eventually, they will have us wave our flags, and money will roll in — into their pockets. When will we ever learn?