Obama strongly considers withdrawing ALL troops from Afghanistan in 2014

[TakeAStepBack]

Kerry and Karzai are working on an agreement that would keep some troops there, but has stated repeatedly (and again yesterday) that it's a dead deal unless Karzai agrees to a SOFA that subjects U.S. troops to U.S. law, not Afghan law.

Which is the only reason we withdrawed all troops in Iraq and sent in the mercs. Otherwise we'd still have a lot of troops there too.

 

[High_Gravity]

Lets bring them home, how can we afford to keep them there anyways?

 

[sambino510]

It would be a good idea IF we stopped ALL immigration from muslim countries including visitor and student visas.

Why would that be a good idea, or even a necessary idea? Statistically, have Muslims done more harm to our country than anybody else? I doubt it.

 

[bianco]

It would be a good idea IF we stopped ALL immigration from muslim countries including visitor and student visas.

It would.

Not on the soil, they can't blow it and the people up.

 

[Moonglow]

When they all get back home they can get unemployment benefits and the RWer's can bitch.

 

[Caroljo]

When they all get back home they can get unemployment benefits and the RWer's can bitch.

No not all....many will still be in the military. My son will be retiring from there eventually, so nobody has to worry about him mooching off anyone. He's not one to sit on his ass and do nothing anyway.

 

[Moonglow]

unemployment is not mooching.

 

[Caroljo]

unemployment is not mooching.

Unemployment is not mooching if it's to people that really need it.
I know most do really need it.....I also know there are quite a lot that abuse it.
And we pay for their abuse.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Obama strongly considers withdrawing ALL troops from Afghanistan in 2014

Excellent. That will minimalize neo-con efforts to an extent and will lead to downsizing DoD.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

If the damn traitorous Rs would get out of the way, there is plenty of work that needs doing.

Infrastructure comes to mind.
Railroads to take the place of over the road trucks. Truck drivers could drive goods from a centralized hub.

Whatever else is true, being in Afghanistan doesn't really accomplish anything.

 

[Peter Dow]

Infrastructure comes to mind.
Railroads to take the place of over the road trucks. Truck drivers could drive goods from a centralized hub.

Ooooh. I've been taking some time out of discussing military & political strategy for Afghanistan for a while - I've suggested a tougher stance against elements in the Pakistani state who oppose us, even risking escalation and the use of nukes for example against the Pakistani ISI HQ for their duplicity in supporting the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

But my hawkish stance is not in favour in the White House so I've been doing other things recently.

But ---- but --- if you are talking Afghanistan transport network, securing that against ambush, road-side bombs from the Taliban then - boy oh boy - do I have a plan for you!

As I say, I can't really bear to watch the news these days because I just can't stand to watch our president ...

(well Obama's your president actually - as a Scot I'm not allowed to have a president - so Obama will have to stand in for "my" president for this post anyway)

... treat Pakistan so softly with velvet gloves when a very firm smash from the iron fist would do the deep state of Pakistan (the unelected state, the state which sponsors the Taliban and Al Qaeda) wonders to achieve the required attitude adjustment.

But as well as a much stronger offense against the enemy in Pakistan, I do have a plan for a much stronger defence for our friends in Afghanistan as well, which doesn't per se lay waste to Pakistan so that's perhaps more likely to be politically acceptable right now?

OK so check out my topic

How to beat the Taliban in Afghanistan / Pakistan (and win the war on terror)

and my posts from #4 onwards include lots of details for a secure Afghan supply network - road and rail - and how that fits in to an overall plan to secure Afghanistan.

Secure supply routes is fairly traditional military theory, which doesn't seem to be taught or at least remembered by our generals from military academy considering our troop deaths to road-side bombs in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Whatever else is true, being in Afghanistan doesn't really accomplish anything.

Afghanistan is right next door to the enemy bases in Pakistan so if we use Afghanistan for forward operations against those Pakistani bases, supply our Afghan forces from the northern road and rail networks, keep in with the ex-Soviet countries to the north, use air and missile power, smash the Pakistani ISI and jihadist sentiment in Pakistan, force a revolution in the Pakistani deep state, wipe out all our enemies there, get Pakistan to spend its money on education and hydroelectric power schemes instead of on nuclear weapons to be as big and as bad as India - then being in Afghanistan makes strategic sense, it helps us accomplish victory in the war on terror.

Being in Afghanistan just to be at the mercy of Pakistan as is, to get their permission to get supplies in and out via Pakistan as they back-stab us by sponsoring terror - that doesn't accomplish much - except show up what strategic idiots our generals are - and that's worth learning for any president.


Or were you talking about upgrading the American railroad infrastructure?

If so maybe I can interest you in the Afghan rail network with this video?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbs-hZ8xl_0]Despite terrorists, Asia's trains do the locomotion with Condoleezza Rice.[/ame]

Sigh, those happy, happy days when secretaries of state acted like real men ...

 

[Katzndogz]

obama will do whatever Iran tells him to do.

 

[Vikrant]

Condoleezza Rice would have been a much better candidate than Romney. I think she should run for the office in the next election. She would make a great president.

 

[Peter Dow]

Condoleezza Rice would have been a much better candidate than Romney. I think she should run for the office in the next election. She would make a great president.

Agreed. We are discussing RICE 2016 in this thread.

The most significant 2013 Inauguration - Condoleezza Rice as CBS News Contributor

 

[Vikrant]

Every time I see candidates like Bachman and Romney, I go like why the heck Condoleezza Rice is not running for the office. She would have been a better candidate than even Obama himself.

 

[Peter Dow]

Every time I see candidates like Bachman and Romney, I go like why the heck Condoleezza Rice is not running for the office. She would have been a better candidate than even Obama himself.

OK my friend we are agreed on that but this thread is about : "Obama strongly considers withdrawing ALL troops from Afghanistan in 2014"

I provided a link to a more suitable thread to continue discussing RICE 2016 Here is that link again.

The most significant 2013 Inauguration - Condoleezza Rice as CBS News Contributor

So why didn't you post your latest post in that other (I would have thought) more suitable thread?

You have 1600+ posts in USMB so I presume you are aware that you are drifting off topic? Or are you wanting to discuss what Condi would do as an alternative in Afghanistan and that's why you are sticking to this thread?

 

[Desperado]

Condoleezza Rice would have been a much better candidate than Romney. I think she should run for the office in the next election. She would make a great president.

Do we really need another neo-con in the President's Office?
Didn't work out well the last time, don't see it working any better the second time around.

 

[Peter Dow]

Condoleezza Rice would have been a much better candidate than Romney. I think she should run for the office in the next election. She would make a great president.

Do we really need another neo-con in the President's Office?
Didn't work out well the last time, don't see it working any better the second time around.

Do we really need to derail this topic about Afghanistan by discussing RICE 2016 when there is a perfectly good thread about that already?

The most significant 2013 Inauguration - Condoleezza Rice as CBS News Contributor

 

[Bloodrock44]

So now there's a deal brewing to keep troops there after 2014? WTF? More precious treasure to die for what? Jesus H. Christ!

 

[Desperado]

So now there's a deal brewing to keep troops there after 2014? WTF? More precious treasure to die for what? Jesus H. Christ!

Obama breaks another promise: Endless Afghanistan? US-Afghan agreement would keep troops in place and funds flowing, perhaps indefinitely....... Isn't this exactly what McCain was saying before he lost the election?

Endless Afghanistan? US-Afghan agreement would keep troops in place and funds flowing, perhaps indefinitely - World News