US wants 9 bases in Afghanistan after withdrawl: Karzai - Polidicks

[QUOTE]KABUL, Afghanistan — The U.S. wants to keep nine bases in Afghanistan after U.S. combat troops withdraw in 2014 which is fine as long as America makes “security and economic guarantees” in exchange, President Hamid Karzai said Thursday in his first public overture in what have been private talks on a future pact between the uneasy allies. The United States has not formally announced how many American troops might remain in Afghanistan after the end of 2014 when the international military coalition ends its combat mission. U.S. officials have said as many as 12,000 American and coalition forces could stay to train and advise Afghan security forces and continue counterterrorism operations against al-Qaida and other extremists.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/president-karzai-says-afghans-willing-to-let-us-hold-on-to-9-bases-in-the-country-after-2014/2013/05/09/29b0e5ae-b881-11e2-b568-6917f6ac6d9d_story.html[/url]

I wonder if that includes Leatherneck. We'd better not be abandoning Bastion...

More useless, costly overseas bases to help protect the American Empire.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;40584298]More useless, costly overseas bases to help protect the American Empire.[/QUOTE] ... sure

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;40584298]More useless, costly overseas bases to help protect the American Empire.[/QUOTE] I'd rather we stay there after seeing what's happening after we left Iraq. Before we left things were starting to stabilize but as soon as we left they started killing each other in large numbers again. You think it's bad there in afganisran now, just wait until we leave.

[QUOTE=-Rusty-;40584427]I'd rather we stay there after seeing what's happening after we left Iraq. Before we left things were starting to stabilize but as soon as we left they started killing each other in large numbers again. You think it's bad there in afganisran now, just wait until we leave.[/QUOTE] Let them crumble. If they're not smart enough to sort their own shit out, we shouldn't be wasting be wasting our time and money on them.

My friend is deploying this week to afghan, can't tell me where cause of opsec though

Military is still a massive strain on the US budget, so more military bases around the world doesn't help that problem.

[QUOTE=Coffee;40584456]Let them crumble. If they're not smart enough to sort their own shit out, we shouldn't be wasting be wasting our time and money on them.[/QUOTE] Intentionally destabilizing countries with brute force and then leaving them to crumble. Classy. If the US isn't smart enough to win wars against goat herders maybe they shouldn't invade their countries.

[QUOTE=-Rusty-;40584427]I'd rather we stay there after seeing what's happening after we left Iraq. Before we left things were starting to stabilize but as soon as we left they started killing each other in large numbers again. You think it's bad there in afganisran now, just wait until we leave.[/QUOTE] people still believe we're in Afghanistan to help the Afghans?

[QUOTE=JerryK;40584659]people still believe we're in Afghanistan to help the Afghans?[/QUOTE] Yeah we're there because it's doing us so much good.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;40584298]More useless, costly overseas bases to help protect the American Empire.[/QUOTE] American Empire? Really?

People don't seem to get this but, Afghanistan isn't a country. Hard to understand this, but it's a capital city claiming reign over their borders and they're mostly just secluded villages with a city in the center of it all.

[QUOTE=Coffee;40584456]Let them crumble. If they're not smart enough to sort their own shit out, we shouldn't be wasting be wasting our time and money on them.[/QUOTE] It's not about how smart one is sometimes. Places like the Middle East, and especially Afghanistan are highly unstable due to tribalism, muslim extremism, and poor economics. How are you going to govern tribes of people who would rather stay independent, don't recognize your authority, and are so isolated from other parts of the country to call themselves Afghans would seem silly. Build infrastructure? Good plan! Now try to find the money, and people willing invest in you when your armed forces are barely capable of effectively fighting back the well trained and zealous bands of Islamic Extremists without the help of NATO's armed support.

[QUOTE=Coffee;40584456]Let them crumble. If they're not smart enough to sort their own shit out, we shouldn't be wasting be wasting our time and money on them.[/QUOTE] Believe it or not, the locals don't like being put under taliban rule when the army's not around.

[QUOTE=Coffee;40584456]Let them crumble. If they're not smart enough to sort their own shit out, we shouldn't be wasting be wasting our time and money on them.[/QUOTE] So we should of let Germany and Japan crumble into internal war after the 40's?

Afghanistan is going to fall to pieces without the US. After all the footage I've seen of the ANA and ANP fighting, I hold no faith in the thought that either could protect their nation.

[QUOTE=Chrille;40584496]Intentionally destabilizing countries with brute force and then leaving them to crumble. Classy. If the US isn't smart enough to win wars against goat herders maybe they shouldn't invade their countries.[/QUOTE] Ever heard of the true believer? “Somewhere a true believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimum food and water, in austere conditions, day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon. He doesn't worry about what workout to do — his rucksack weighs what it weighs, and he runs until the enemy stops chasing him. The true believer doesn't care how hard it is; he knows that he either wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 1700; he is home. He only knows the cause." While these people may just be 'goat herders' their entire reason for being is to fight and die for their religion or their organization. Not to mention they've been fighting against invaders since 1979 when the soviets invaded.

[QUOTE=Chrille;40584496]Intentionally destabilizing countries with brute force and then leaving them to crumble. Classy. If the US isn't smart enough to win wars against goat herders maybe they shouldn't invade their countries.[/QUOTE] Confirmed Goat herders now have suicidal farm boys & bombs to their exposal.

[QUOTE=JerryK;40584659]people still believe we're in Afghanistan to help the Afghans?[/QUOTE] So then why are we there now then, we can't just pack up and leave. We're dug into deep(at least I think) Everything will go to shit. I know people who are there or have been and some that died and I'd rather we fix this mess then just leave with those people dying for nothing.

[QUOTE=-Rusty-;40588566]So then why are we there now then, we can't just pack up and leave. We're dug into deep(at least I think) Everything will go to shit. I know people who are there or have been and some that died and I'd rather we fix this mess then just leave with those people dying for nothing.[/QUOTE] they already died for nothing, now we just can just stop letting more die for nothing.