Obama: US will end 'most' combat operations, switch to support role in Afghanistan this spring
24 replies, posted
[img]http://imgkk.com/i/f6vs.jpg[/img]
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20993047[/url]
[quote=BBC News][B]US troops in Afghanistan will end "most" combat operations this spring, US President Barack Obama and Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai have agreed.[/B]
American forces are expected to switch to a support role, slightly earlier than originally scheduled, as Afghan troops take the security lead.
The two leaders also backed the holding of talks between the Afghan government and Taliban leaders in Doha, Qatar.
Most of the 66,000 US troops in Afghanistan are due to leave in 2014.
"Starting this spring, our troops will have a different mission - training, advising, assisting Afghan forces," Mr Obama said in remarks at the White House on Friday, as Mr Karzai stood alongside.
"It will be a historic moment and another step toward full Afghan sovereignty."
The presidents also agreed that the US would hand over custody of prisoners to the Afghan government, a step Mr Karzai said was critical for his country's sovereignty.
The transition of US troops to a support role by this spring would be several months earlier than the mid-2013 deadline agreed at a Nato summit in Chicago last year.
Mr Obama said American forces could remain in Afghanistan in that support role beyond 2014.
But this would only be at the invitation of the Afghan government and under an agreement guaranteeing US troops immunity from Afghan law.
Mr Karzai said he was "very happy" to hear that Afghan forces would take over responsibility for providing security by this spring.
"The international forces, the American forces, will be no longer present in the villages, that it will be the task of the Afghan forces to provide for the Afghan people in security and protection," the Afghan leader said.
Mr Obama reiterated the US goal of destroying the remnant of al-Qaeda, and said the US had come close to achieving that.
Mr Karzai and Mr Obama committed to crafting a bilateral security agreement as soon as possible.
US commanders have suggested leaving between 6,000 and 15,000 troops in Afghanistan to pursue insurgents and train Afghan security forces.
Mr Obama said on Friday that he would review recommendations from US military commanders before making a decision, as he reaffirmed that the US sought no permanent bases in Afghanistan.
In a joint statement following their meeting, Mr Obama and Mr Karzai said the training and progress of Afghan security forces had exceeded expectations.
They now lead about 80% of operations and by February are expected to have a lead in securing 90% of the Afghan population, the statement said.
Also on Friday, Mr Karzai confirmed he would step down from the presidency, as expected, at the end of his term in 2014.
"The greatest of my achievements eventually, seen by the Afghan people, will be a proper, well-organized, interference-free election in which the Afghan people can elect their next president," he said.
"And certainly I will be a retired president, and very happily a retired president."[/quote]
Last time he said that I thought it was the end.
usa promises to do something
might not happen
Please let this happen.
My friend is being deployed to Afghanistan in a few months. :(
Well the deadline for ending combat operations is still in 2014, isn't it? This doesn't seem that unreasonable.
This is happening, for real.
Now let's see if we can go five years without a major military intervention somewhere in the world.
[QUOTE=luverofJ!93;39184131]Now let's see if we can go five years without a major military intervention somewhere in the world.[/QUOTE]
Just get France to do it, they are the new world police and they have figured out how to do it without making everyone hate them
[QUOTE=luverofJ!93;39184131]Now let's see if we can go five years without a major military intervention somewhere in the world.[/QUOTE]
I don't know man, Sweden looks like its getting a little too big for its boots.
Finally.
Tired of the endless wars.
[QUOTE=KingPariah;39184805]Finally.
Tired of the endless wars.[/QUOTE]
You realize just because the Us stops fighting doesn't mean the war won't keep going? Its just going to mean Afghani's die fighting for their country rather than Americans, maybe some prefer a force thats going to die more because of training and equipment.
Well at least I know I won't be deployed if I decide to join the reserves.
[QUOTE=TehAgentGuy;39184910]Well at least I know I won't be deployed if I decide to join the reserves.[/QUOTE]
I thought reserve deployments were on a voluntary basis?
[QUOTE=KingPariah;39184805]Finally.
Tired of the endless wars.[/QUOTE]
not really the end per se, im assuming there's still going to be black ops in the area and other shady government things.
How about we take [I]no[/I] role and let them unfuck their own shit?
[QUOTE=laserguided;39184900]You realize just because the Us stops fighting doesn't mean the war won't keep going? Its just going to mean Afghani's die fighting for their country rather than Americans, maybe some prefer a force thats going to die more because of training and equipment.[/QUOTE]
So what do you suggest? We stay there indefinitely? There's gonna be a time when we finally leave, and when we do, they can deal with the batshit radicals themselves. I just hope they're able to..
[QUOTE=Forumaster;39185434]How about we take [I]no[/I] role and let them unfuck their own shit?[/QUOTE]
Except it's our post WW2 and cold war era actions that fucked up that shit in the first place.
[editline]12th January 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=laserguided;39184900]You realize just because the Us stops fighting doesn't mean the war won't keep going? Its just going to mean Afghani's die fighting for their country rather than Americans, maybe some prefer a force thats going to die more because of training and equipment.[/QUOTE]
Afghanis fighting for their own cause with the help where needed is the only way to end a situation like this.
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;39186603]So what do you suggest? We stay there indefinitely? [B]There's gonna be a time when we finally leave, and when we do, they can deal with the batshit radicals themselves. I just hope they're able to..[/B][/QUOTE]
Quite the contradicting statement.
[editline]11th January 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=Killuah;39186629]Except it's our post WW2 and cold war era actions that fucked up that shit in the first place.
[editline]12th January 2013[/editline]
[B]Afghanis fighting for their own cause with the help where needed is the only way to end a situation like this.[/B][/QUOTE]
More will die trying because the current occupying powers aren't doing enough to counter corruption and aren't sending enough money directly into their army.
[QUOTE=RichyZ;39184768]obongo is surrendering to the sandniggers.....
america is dead...
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("Racism" - Craptasket))[/highlight][/QUOTE]
As a sandnigger I can confirm that we are slowly gaining control of America, you should be getting your government issued AK-47s in a few months
[QUOTE=laserguided;39186768]
More will die trying because the current occupying powers aren't doing enough to counter corruption and aren't sending enough money directly into their army.[/QUOTE]
You realize that we can't really do anything, because we actually are operating with the Afghan governments permission, rather than on our own. It is all up to their government.
[QUOTE=SKEEA;39187206]You realize that we can't really do anything, because we actually are operating with the Afghan governments permission, rather than on our own. It is all up to their government.[/QUOTE]
US government could give them money to equip and pay the soldiers. After all, they put this government in power and have 70,000 troops in Afghanistan. If the US leaves in 2014 its going to turn into a civil war.. the current desertion rate is 10-15%, the training is primitive and the commanders are incompetent.
Afghanistan has always been a shithole, riddled with corruption and violence. I don't see it suddenly becoming an okay place to live.
[QUOTE=KingPariah;39184805]Finally.
Tired of the endless wars.[/QUOTE]
There's no such thing to a war on "terror".
Especially when we're drone striking the living shit out of Pakistan and Yemen.
This will end the high risk of Americans dying.
But not the high risk of people dying, period.
This just a show of a symptom getting a band aid, not addressing the whole issue of American interventionism abroad in its many forms.
[QUOTE=KingPariah;39184805]Finally.
Tired of the endless wars.[/QUOTE]
War is not ending by any stretch of the imagination, it's just going into secrecy. The US will still very much be in the business of killing people.
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