No bluff: U.S. planning possible withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan

No bluff: U.S. planning possible withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan

Washington (CNN) -- We're not bluffing, the Obama administration told Afghanistan on Tuesday in announcing for the first time it has started planning for the possible withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of the year if no security agreement is signed.

Statements by the White House and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel showed President Barack Obama's impatience with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's refusal to sign the agreement that would keep several thousand American troops in the country after combat operations conclude this year.

In a phone call with Karzai on Tuesday to discuss upcoming elections for a new Afghan leader, Obama made clear that time was running out to properly plan for keeping any U.S. forces in the country beyond 2014, the White House said. Meanwhile, a senior Pakistani official warned that pulling out U.S. troops could have dire consequences, leading to a civil war in Afghanistan.

Well with the recent declaration by Hagel about reducing the military this bluff may have more weight than any previous talk about leaving Afghanistan. Sooner or later Afghanistan will have to stand on their own two feet. This doesn't mean we should leave them hanging dry as he had in the past but they can shoulder more of their own defense. As far as the US/Allies pulling out?

I think we should leave, We already killed enough in drone strikes etc. Oh, but wait, there's more...

Pakistani official: Don't do it

A senior Pakistani government official told CNN that a full withdrawal of U.S. troops should not be considered, declaring that "the zero option means civil war in Afghanistan. "Speaking on condition of not being identified, the Pakistani official predicted that 30% of Afghan forces would desert if U.S. forces leave the country.

If true it just confirms what many have been saying that on the one hand Pakistan very publicly drags the US/Allies through the mud then on the other privately approves.

Hypocrites

I think the Pakistani official is correct.

We see what has happened in Iraq and Libya. The US leads the allies into these places, only for everyone to get stuck there, and leave when the job is not done. While i understand it all comes down to agreements between sovereign states, i think the US needs to be more careful in its decisions. I support pulling the troops out, but the US has got itself into a position whereby they cannot pull out, for fear that Afghanistan will become another failed state.

The mission was to ensure the dismantling of terrorist headquarters in Afghanistan, while also imposing a democratic government. The allies have done neither successfully, and have actually made matters worse in the Northern African/Middle Eastern regions...

daaskapital
I think the Pakistani official is correct.

Some feel they were never right...

We see what has happened in Iraq and Libya. The US leads the allies into these places, only for everyone to get stuck there, and leave when the job is not done. While i understand it all comes down to agreements between sovereign states, i think the US needs to be more careful in its decisions. I support pulling the troops out, but the US has got itself into a position whereby they cannot pull out, for fear that Afghanistan will become another failed state.

Afghanistan has almost always been at war with either an invading outside force or from civil war within it's own borders. Before the US lead invasion Afghanistan was in a decade long civil war. Taliban vs Northern alliance.

That's why I stated we shouldn't completely leave them hanging dry.

reply to post by SLAYER69

Good.
I am all for getting our troops out of there.

At the same time, I feel for the families and friends of all the servicemen and women that died there for what ends up being no reason at all.

What a waste of lives.

The situation in Afghanistan will be essentially the same as it was before we went there.... warring tribes in a civil war, and the Taliban will be free to conduct their war on women, homosexuals and non-Muslims.

I guess Vietnam was sooooo long ago that we've forgotten what happened.

Then again, we could look at Iraq, but that was soooo long ago as well.

We don't win wars anymore.

The same way that drug companies don't cure disease.

They look for "treatments" that'll bring about more money.

*shakes head*

They harvested all the poppies and Mined all the Lithium that fast!?

They will also lose the east border camps of Iran.. maybe they think its not worth it?

The profit motives behind the war have been met as far as they can be. Meanwhile, the government has finally been forced to acknowledge that this drunken defense spending spree they've been on is wholly unaffordable and we are in serious economic poop as a result. The government will be frantically slashing defense spending in the ensuing months but it will be too little, too late.

I don't believe there was ever a plan for a stable Afghanistan. The US and it's allies went there based on an unbelievable lie. Just because nobody had enough evidence to call the US out on it's BS, does not mean that those that followed the US should have had any illusion of how this would play out.

We used those people. And now we are going to leave them for dead. That is what we do as an Ally of the US.

I grew up in the military and married into the military and spent 50 years of my life in it.

We should NEVER have sent troops into Afghanistan, never.

That country is hopeless. No one has ever tamed the tribal lords in thousands of years and never will. It is a cesspool of death.

We should only have sent highly trained strike teams dropped in to do what needed to be done.

Withdrawal and total withdrawal is the only smart thing to do.

Tribal lords and 14th century life will remain well after the US leaves and the result will be the same even if a small contingent remains.

If the Afgan people choose to live the "totally green" life of the 14th century, then let them be. The libs/progressives should be thrilled to use their simple carbon free lifestyle as a model once we horrid Americans leave.

reply to post by butcherguy

The situation in Afghanistan will be essentially the same as it was before we went there.... warring tribes in a civil war, and the Taliban will be free to conduct their war on women, homosexuals and non-Muslims.

Yeah will be the same, except people getting droned at weddings, funerals, and collateral damage to villages and families and kids dying...

Im sure it will be better than how it is now.... the people are not between 2 blades of a guillotine, just one.

At least the death toll will go down. from both sides.

reply to post by SLAYER69


I agree that the allies shouldn't hang Afghanistan out to dry. It would be insane to do such a thing. It would be a waste of lives and time if we were to do that.

As for myself agreeing with the Pakistani official: It was only his statement i came to agree with. Pakistan as a state needs to find it's place. I'm curious as to why the allies are even continuing to deal with them, considering the amount of times they screw us all over.

butcherguy
reply to post by SLAYER69

 

the Taliban will be free to conduct their war on women, homosexuals and non-Muslims.

Don't you mean that the Taliban will be free to take on more terror contracts dolled out by the USG? Even the Taliban cannot be everywhere at once.

Obama's not bluffing? He really may withdraw them all? Ooooooo.... I'm sure impressed!


Of course.. I'd be far MORE impressed if I hadn't been following this so close to know Hamid Karzai is essentially refusing our every offer and deal to create a status of forces agreement beyond the current one. When it's gone, we're basically persona non grata and evicted from Afghanistan. It's not quite that...but for an over-simplified version, that's what it comes down to.

Obama and Co. were planning for upwards of 10,000 troops as a training and limited counter-insurgency force as recently as a few months ago. Now it's threatening to leave? Lol... No.. It's making lemonade out of lemons as we're being told to leave.

it's about time too... I don't care how it comes about. I just want to see all our people OUT of that land of dead empires.

SLAYER69

Well with the recent declaration by Hagel about reducing the military this bluff may have more weight than any previous talk about leaving Afghanistan. Sooner or later Afghanistan will have to stand on their own two feet. This doesn't mean we should leave them hanging dry as he had in the past but they can shoulder more of their own defense. As far as the US/Allies pulling out?

I think we should leave, We already killed enough in drone strikes etc.
Hypocrites

I have watched with concern the "explosion" of the Private Military Contractors - PMC - the last decade or so. The "Troops" leave, meaning actual guys in uniform and on the payroll of the US-DOD. If the PMC will leave, - I doubt it. After all the real reason for the invasion was the securing of the pipeline, - (pre-911). Also some years ago they admitted that Afghanistan had a bit more natural resources than previously thought. So as I see it, the US-Military is the "Heavy hitter" with all its military hard ware and once the country is reduced to rubble the PMC cowboys take over with rather "lighter" equipment.
So far all these wars look to me not to be wars but rather brutal corporate will enforcement. Business as usual I would say.

MALBOSIA

butcherguy
reply to post by SLAYER69

 

the Taliban will be free to conduct their war on women, homosexuals and non-Muslims.

Don't you mean that the Taliban will be free to take on more terror contracts dolled out by the USG? Even the Taliban cannot be everywhere at once.

No, I was speaking of the Taliban taking control of areas and making sure that girls are not allowed to go to schools to be educated and women get stoned for 'allowing' themselves to be raped. People get executed for being gay or possessing a Bible.

Dempsey: Military has job despite withdrawal talk

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (AP) — America's top military officer said Wednesday the U.S. threat to withdraw all troops out of Afghanistan if no security pact is signed may encourage the enemy and lead some Afghan forces to align with the Taliban.

Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday's announcement of President Barack Obama's order to begin planning for a total withdrawal also makes Afghan military leaders anxious and eats away at their troops' confidence.

Speaking at the end of a long day of meetings with his commanders in Afghanistan, Dempsey said he wanted to make sure they knew there is still a lot of work to do this year, and that they can't let worries about next year distract them.

reply to post by SLAYER69

Well with the recent declaration by Hagel about reducing the military this bluff may have more weight than any previous talk about leaving Afghanistan. Sooner or later Afghanistan will have to stand on their own two feet. This doesn't mean we should leave them hanging dry as he had in the past but they can shoulder more of their own defense. As far as the US/Allies pulling out?

i see the reduction of the Military in a different light..

as we no longer will need the manpower of a 2 million-man force (like WW2)
the advanced weaponry & Drone programs will only require a lot more 'Contractors' to engage enemies in tandem with highly mobile SWAT or SEAL type teams/squads.Platoons of Experts ...who might have a shelf-life of two-or-three Tours or Campaigns until they are disgarded with no benefits or further commitments of support (retirements)


the drug fields in Afghanistan will not be handed over to any Puppet government....the USA must/will keep that revenue-stream for itself... so any dream of a completely dematerialized Afghan is folly thinking... the Military will still be there but under a different name


ADD


i will try to recover the article... Something like $4 Trillion was spent on the Iraq-&-Afghan war ... to date

Study: Iraq, Afghan war costs to top $4 trillion
18:38 News 3 comments

The U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will cost taxpayers $4 trillion to $6 trillion, taking into account the medical care of wounded veterans and expensive repairs to a force depleted by more than a decade of fighting, according to a new study by a Harvard researcher.

~and here's the focus for the realigned, reformulated standing military~:

The Associated Press recently found that the federal government is still cutting checks each month to relatives of Civil War veterans nearly 150 years after the end of that war.

www.newsforage.com...

reply to post by butcherguy


would that be the same Taliban that offed Pat Tillman?

What?!
Who will watch the opium?

I think, if Pakistan/Afghanistan wants to keep our troops where they are, then they should declare themselves the 51st state and start paying taxes to support them.