More US troops could be deployed to Afghanistan in the coming months to “help” in the withdrawal process, the Pentagon said on Friday.
Since President Biden broke the US-Taliban peace deal by pushing the withdrawal deadline back to September, the chances of attacks against US forces in Afghanistan starting again are high. The idea is that the US might need additional forces or weapons to protect the troops that are leaving.
“It is not out of the realm of the possible that for a short period of time, there will have to be some additional enabling capabilities added to Afghanistan to help effect a safe, orderly and deliberately planned drawdown of everybody by the president’s deadline by early September,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a news briefing.
Kirby recognized the threats by the Taliban and warned the group against attacking the US. “We’ve seen their threats, and it would be imprudent for us not to take those threats seriously,” he said. “Any attack on our drawdown, on our forces or our allies and partners, … will be met very forcefully.”
The Taliban released a statement on Thursday that said President Biden’s decision was a “clear violation” of the US-Taliban peace deal that was signed in Doha last year and hinted that it means the US would again be targeted. “Now as the agreement is being breached by America, it in principle opens the way for the Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate to take every necessary countermeasure,” the statement said.
On Wednesday, local Taliban commanders speaking to The Daily Beast made more forceful threats and said they are ready to attack the US if troops stay beyond May 1st, warning they could turn the final months of the war into a “nightmare” for the Americans.
February 8th marked the first full year that no US troops died in combat in Afghanistan. Biden’s decision to push back the deadline does nothing for the peace process and only puts US troops at risk of being killed.
It’s also possible that the Taliban might wait and see if the US is serious about withdrawing before it starts attacking troops. Sending US additional forces to the region to “help” the withdrawal could send the wrong signal and spark more violence.
Reminds me of a standing joke we had back at Defense Language School (Monterey) in 1969.
Question: “If President Nixon is withdrawing the troops from Vietnam, how come I’ve got orders to Vietnam next year?
Answer: “You fool. How can Nixon withdraw you from Vietnam unless he sends you there first.”
Exactly!
It is funny now, but it was not then, nor, is it funny today………..
Humor, sardonic or otherwise, depends on the context of the situation.
Defense Language Institute (West Coast) resides on a US Army base, the Presidio of Monterey. This meant that, among other indignities, we enlisted men from the various armed services got to eat what the Army considers ‘food.’ Those of us in Uncle Sam’s Canoe Club (a.k.a., the United States Navy) could drive across town and eat at the Naval Post Graduate School at our own expense, if we wanted, but most of the time — having other uses for our meager pennies and dimes — we had to make do with what the Army provided.
The Army had their own cooks back in those days, but much of the preparation and clean-up work fell to those unlucky soldiers serving what they called K. P. (or “Kitchen Police”) duty for some infraction or another. Whenever they would hear someone complain about the Army “food” they would say something like: “Why should it be any good, since the Army forces us to make it as punishment?”
At any rate, the Army had posted a memorial plaque on the wall next to the entry door which read: “Chesty Puller Ate a Meal Here.” Once I noticed where someone had crossed out the word “Meal” and wrote “Mule” instead.
On another occasion — the Marine Corps Birthday — I remember standing in line at the “Mess” Hall (appropriately named) when an Asian-American Marine corporal (attired in his best gaudy dress uniform) looked up at the sky and loudly moaned: “Happy Birthday Crotch! What do I have to do to celebrate? Clean the latrine twice?”
I have no idea what passes for “morale” in the Armed Farces today, but facing prospective deployment to an already long lost war in Southeast Asia, we enlisted cannon fodder had little in the way of it. What passed for “humor” among us reflected that.
So if takes 4+ months to remove 2,500 troops, how long will it take to remove the troops that are sent there to help remove those troops that are already there? And will we have to send more troops to help remove the troops that were sent to help remove those troops that are already there? And will we have to send more troops to remove……
Meanwhile we will be dropping bombs on the place.
Indeed. Sounds like the plan alright.
Whenever the U.S. Corporate/Military Junta starts babbling the word-like noise “war,” I suggest a more accurate and valid translation:
Ordnance Expenditure Expeditions
Ordnance Expenditure Expeditions,
Use up and then order more munitions.
Make sure to run down the inventory.
Start wars for profits: the same old story.
“Give us the money or we’ll huff and puff.
Buy from us all of these weapons and stuff.
No-bid, cost-plus guarantees we demand.
And if we don’t get them, no jobs for this land.”
How? First a false flag: a made-up “good reason”
Summer, Spring, Winter, or Fall: any season.
“Gas” attacks “on his own people” will do it.
“Brutal dictator must go.” Then see to it.
Second: “advisers” deploy for a tour,
Helping make countries with little more poor,
Calling in airstrikes to wipe out the towns
Whenever local folks fight back with frowns.
Third: the “straight-legs” force us all to include them.
Regular Army. No way to exclude them.
They’ve got their generals, too; they demand it:
Their chance to play the Big Cheese (meaning, bandit).
Fourth: then the Air Force and Navy want in,
Bringing Marines as their “infantry” kin.
Some to pin medals and stars on their shirts.
Some to catch bullets and shrapnel, which hurts.
Generals, admirals, colonels, commanders:
Aimless amphibians, swamp salamanders,
Punching their tickets while lost in a land which
Doesn’t need them fucking up a soup sandwich.
Still, screwing pooches can make a career.
Just learn to lie with a lisp and a leer.
No one will know, if your jargon’s opaque,
How to distinguish the real from the fake.
Just babble bullshit and throw in some numbers,
Then keep it up until everyone slumbers.
You’ll have succeeded when their eyes start crossing.
Soon they won’t know a toothbrush from a flossing.
Fifth: let the dogs-of-war piss on the fire:
“Contractors” who’ll kill their mothers for hire,
Shooting at anything moving on roads.
Selling some “Safety” to rich loathsome toads.
Last: the camp-following big corporations
Feeding the troops on their overpriced rations.
Petrol at four-hundred bucks to a gallon.
Taxpayers sliced with a razor-sharp talon.
No thought to budgets that balance the books.
Just like Dick Nixon, these people are crooks:
Buying Republicans who’ll chant “God bless!”
Renting the Democrats who’ll lose for less.
Dining at Davos in Switzerland’s mountains,
Oligarchs drink to wealth spurting in fountains.
Then with The Donald they swap salutations,
Making our country a plague among nations.
Michael Murry, “The Misfortune Teller,” Copyright © 2018