US to end Afghan combat mission in 2013

That's what Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said.

They will end the Afghanistan mission sometime next year according to his statements today.

The military role will shift from combat to training and "assisting".

Well I guess we shall see.


February 1st, 2012 -- CNN
03:50 PM ET

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said that the U.S. and NATO will be ending their combat mission at some point next year, transitioning to a training role and letting Afghan security forces take the lead.

“Hopefully by mid to the latter part of 2013 we’ll be able to make a transition from a combat role to a training, advise and assist role,” Panetta said. His comment, while en route to Brussels for a NATO meeting, was confirmed to CNN by a defense official.

Late last year, Gen. John Allen, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said U.S. forces will begin to be deployed this year within Afghan units as advisors and trainers, reducing the direct combat role of foreign troops in the country.

Another "good" campaign issue for Obama ?

Maybe.

We will see how the White House uses this policy.

US to end Afghan combat mission in 2013


Is This a Firm Commitment by the U.S. ??

They will still be there, helping and assisting, but the Afghans have to do more dying then the Americans. In 2013 you might still hear of kidnapped American aid workers, held hostage or killed on videos. But American troops pulling out is a start to letting Afghanistan have more autonomy in its internal affairs. I think that since America left Afghanistan alone after the Soviet invasion failed, Afghanistan floundered, and lashed out at its former backer. Now America has tried to fix Afghanistan's floundering by force, they can do not much else forcefully but let the seeds they sewed grow; However Afghanistan isn't going to be a quagmire of American foreign policy like it was to the Soviets, who cut and run from their invasion.

America will clean up the best it can cause it saw what happened to the weapons that the USSR left behind, they became the weapons that the Taliban was using against the Americans. America will pull out its troops and leave advisors to clear up any expended but unexploded munitions, make sure the Afghanistan forces can fight for themselves.

It doesn't want to withdraw in a hurry because when the USSR withdrew in a hurry it left behind loads of equipment that bit America in the butt, since it fell into the wrong hands. America withdraws, shoves weapons into what it believes will be the right hands.

Time will tell.

reply to post by xuenchen


They will take out the soldiers, and replace them with XE/Blackwater operatives (funded by USA tax dollars) who will continue to protect the opium fields, make way for prospecting of the rare minerals, and help facilitate all the new oil pipelines.

Obama sure is implementing a lot of policies that he should have done 3 years ago.

This is for votes and nothing else

So, they will end the combat missions, and leave Australia to hold the # bag. Australia is staying there after 2014. I knew this would happen.

"another good for Obama"?,,

Excuse me, George Bush started AND ended the war in Iraq.

I take it that means the Afghan heroin industry is up and running again, with our help of course. Oh boy, does our country love drug money or what. Looks like we've accomplished our goal. Now let's go rape another country of its resources.

Originally posted by CALGARIAN
"another good for Obama"?,,

Excuse me, George Bush started AND ended the war in Iraq.

I was referring to

"Another "good" campaign issue for Obama ? "

This is about Afghanistan.

Although yes, Obama has attempted to take credit for the Iraq withdrawl that was negotiated before he was POTUS.

And usually, negotiated military withdrawls are the result of the business and corporate advantages.