US troops to stay in Afghanistan until 2024 and beyond

[Cali_Democrat]

Endless Afghanistan? US-Afghan agreement would keep troops in place and funds flowing, perhaps indefinitely
By Richard Engel, NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent

KABUL – While many Americans have been led to believe the war in Afghanistan will soon be over, a draft of a key U.S.-Afghan security deal obtained by NBC News shows the United States is prepared to maintain military outposts in Afghanistan for many years to come, and pay to support hundreds of thousands of Afghan security forces.

The wide-ranging document, still unsigned by the United States and Afghanistan, has the potential to commit thousands of American troops to Afghanistan and spend billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars.

The document outlines what appears to be the start of a new, open-ended military commitment in Afghanistan in the name of training and continuing to fight al-Qaeda. The war in Afghanistan doesn’t seem to be ending, but renewed under new, scaled-down U.S.-Afghan terms.

<..>

Taken as a whole, the document describes a basic U.S.-Afghan exchange. Afghanistan would allow Washington to operate military bases to train Afghan forces and conduct counter-terrorism operations against al-Qaeda after the current mission ends in 2014. For that foothold in this volatile mountain region wedged between Pakistan and Iran, the United States would agree to sustain and equip Afghanistan's large security force, which the government in Kabul currently cannot afford. The deal, according to the text, would take effect on Jan. 1, 2015 and “shall remain in force until the end of 2024 and beyond.” It could be terminated by either Washington or Kabul with two years advance written notice.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/19/21534305-endless-afghanistan-us-afghan-agreement-would-keep-troops-in-place-and-funds-flowing-perhaps-indefinitely

[malaise]

1. Why is this a big story?

The US still has troops in Japan and Germany and WWII ended in 1945.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Ya, but US troops will be engaged in hostilities in Afghanistan. n/t

[malaise]

6. OK I see - I've been so busy I haven't read the report

Obama should bring them all home - it's a waste of human lives and money.

[former9thward]

2. The people of Afghanistan will have brought down yet another 'superpower'.

Afghanistan pushed the Soviet economy over the cliff and we are headed in that direction.

[Upton]

4. Obama in 2012..

"We are bringing our troops home from Afghanistan. And I've set a timetable. We will have them all out of there by 2014.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-romney-no-timetable-end-afghan-war-231510087--election.html

I guess he just misspoke..

[arcane1]

7. They'll say he meant "combat troops"

Which are totally different than troops who "conduct counter-terrorism operations against al-Qaeda"

[arcane1]

5. "and pay to support hundreds of thousands of Afghan security forces."

Oh, and this is supposed to be to "train" them. Ten years apparently hasn't long enough to accomplish that

[Octafish]

8. ''Money trumps peace.'' -- George W Bush, Feb. 14, 2007

Remember: this giggling war criminal and traitor walks free.

[Laelth]

9. Not exactly shocked by this news.

I don't think we're done with Iran yet.





-Laelth

[indepat]

10. One wonders how much social security and Medicare will have been cut through 2024 to fund operations

in Afghanistan? How much better millions of lives here and there will be by reason of troops being there. At what point does it become insanity to let things at home go to hell in a hand-basket to station troops so far from home at inordinate expense all the while military contractors will be larded and sated with fat ludicrously profit-laden contracts?

[RobertEarl]

11. Eh? TIC

Who else can protect the Chinese mining companies? What? You want Chinese to have to invade?

Besides, if we never leave we can't be deemed as being defeated. Gotta keep up the idea that empire lives!

Just look at Iraq. Ever since we left the Iraqis in ruins, they have remained in chaos. Imagine what it would be like if they had let us keep troops there.