After recent killing of civillians by American soldier in Afganistan, there is lot of fuss about US pull out from Afganistan. Which in my view is good news. It really doesn't matter whether US pulls out now or one year later. Things are going to be same in both cases within few months in Afganistan. It will be back in control to Taliban which clearly has support from neighboring countries.
By the way, my note about those killing is still under construction. I will cover it later with more detailed and fundamental thoughts.
Most surprising thing yesterday was Karzai's demand of faster NATO pull-out from Afganistan. He should be last person to ask for it unless, he is tired of living in Afganistan as well. May be he wants to go back to west/US and starts living his life normally. I think he knows very clearly, that once NATO/US is out of Afganistan and if he decides to stay there he will get same treatment as Najibullah (I hope my memory is serving me right as far as his name is concerned) got after Russians pulled out. What I remember is that he was hanged in public after stone pelting or something like that.
Nothing will change in few years of occupation. I doubt even fifty years of occupation can make any difference in there.. may be, fifty years may make difference if they spend huge amount on education and infrastructure and can put some stable democratic government in there. But fifty years will be really expensive especially there is no oil in Afganistan. Instead of spending fifty years in Afganistan, US can send these type of small missions two to three times and also test their latest gears.. that was too much.. but bottom line is that US needs to think long term if they want to fix anything et all.
US missed opportunity to bring Afganistan after Russian withdrawal which costed them dearly. At that time US had goodwill and support of Afganistan population and even slight spend of money could have made big difference. Right now, I don't know if they have any goodwill there.. I think it is more of opposite.
http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_20184939/taliban-talks-off-karzai-tells-nato-pull-back
Karzai demands faster NATO pullout
Taliban halts talks with the U.S. after village massacre
Deb Riechmann and Amir Shah
Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan — The American campaign in Afghanistan suffered a double blow Thursday: The Taliban broke off talks with the U.S., and President Hamid Karzai said NATO should pull out of rural areas and speed up the transfer of security responsibilities to Afghan forces nationwide in the wake of the killing of 16 civilians. The moves represent new setbacks to America’s strategy for ending the 10year-old war at a time when support for the conflict is plummeting. Part of the U.S. exit strategy is to transfer authority gradually to Afghan forces. Another tack is to pull the Taliban into political discussions with the Afghan government, though it’s unclear that there has been any progress since January. Although Karzai has previously said that he wanted international troops to transition out of rural areas, the apparent call for an immediate exit is new. Karzai also said he now wants Afghan forces take the lead for countrywide security in 2013, in what appeared to be a move to push the U.S. toward an earlier drawdown.
A statement released by Karzai’s office said that during his meeting with visiting Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, the president “requested that the international forces come out of Afghan villages and stay in their bases.”
Karzai also said that the “Afghan security forces have the ability to provide security in the villages of our country,” the statement said.
But a senior U.S. official said Karzai did not make any demands to have U.S. troops leave villages immediately. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose details of a private meeting, said it’s unclear that the U.S. would be able to pull all of its troops out of the villages even by 2013. He noted that the U.S. plans to continue counterterrorism operations and advising the Afghan forces.
A rapid pullout from rural areas would have a devastating effect on U.S. ability to challenge the Taliban on the battlefield.
Unlike the Iraq War, where most combat was in towns and cities, the Afghan conflict is a struggle to secure rural hamlets and remote mountain valleys used by the militants to move in and out of sanctuaries in neighboring Pakistan.
It would essentially mean the end of the strategy of trying to win hearts and minds by working with and protecting the local populations.
Karzai is known for making dramatic demands and then backing off under U.S. pressure. The call for a pullback will likely become another issue of contention between the Afghans and their international allies at a time of growing war weariness in the United States and other coalition countries.
Karzai spoke as Afghan lawmakers were expressing outrage that the U.S. flew the soldier suspected of gunning down 16 civilians early Sunday in two Afghan villages to Kuwait on Wednesday night. They were demanding that the suspect be tried in the country.
SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday.
By the way, my note about those killing is still under construction. I will cover it later with more detailed and fundamental thoughts.
Most surprising thing yesterday was Karzai's demand of faster NATO pull-out from Afganistan. He should be last person to ask for it unless, he is tired of living in Afganistan as well. May be he wants to go back to west/US and starts living his life normally. I think he knows very clearly, that once NATO/US is out of Afganistan and if he decides to stay there he will get same treatment as Najibullah (I hope my memory is serving me right as far as his name is concerned) got after Russians pulled out. What I remember is that he was hanged in public after stone pelting or something like that.
Nothing will change in few years of occupation. I doubt even fifty years of occupation can make any difference in there.. may be, fifty years may make difference if they spend huge amount on education and infrastructure and can put some stable democratic government in there. But fifty years will be really expensive especially there is no oil in Afganistan. Instead of spending fifty years in Afganistan, US can send these type of small missions two to three times and also test their latest gears.. that was too much.. but bottom line is that US needs to think long term if they want to fix anything et all.
US missed opportunity to bring Afganistan after Russian withdrawal which costed them dearly. At that time US had goodwill and support of Afganistan population and even slight spend of money could have made big difference. Right now, I don't know if they have any goodwill there.. I think it is more of opposite.
http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_20184939/taliban-talks-off-karzai-tells-nato-pull-back
Karzai demands faster NATO pullout
Taliban halts talks with the U.S. after village massacre
Deb Riechmann and Amir Shah
Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan — The American campaign in Afghanistan suffered a double blow Thursday: The Taliban broke off talks with the U.S., and President Hamid Karzai said NATO should pull out of rural areas and speed up the transfer of security responsibilities to Afghan forces nationwide in the wake of the killing of 16 civilians. The moves represent new setbacks to America’s strategy for ending the 10year-old war at a time when support for the conflict is plummeting. Part of the U.S. exit strategy is to transfer authority gradually to Afghan forces. Another tack is to pull the Taliban into political discussions with the Afghan government, though it’s unclear that there has been any progress since January. Although Karzai has previously said that he wanted international troops to transition out of rural areas, the apparent call for an immediate exit is new. Karzai also said he now wants Afghan forces take the lead for countrywide security in 2013, in what appeared to be a move to push the U.S. toward an earlier drawdown.
A statement released by Karzai’s office said that during his meeting with visiting Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, the president “requested that the international forces come out of Afghan villages and stay in their bases.”
Karzai also said that the “Afghan security forces have the ability to provide security in the villages of our country,” the statement said.
But a senior U.S. official said Karzai did not make any demands to have U.S. troops leave villages immediately. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose details of a private meeting, said it’s unclear that the U.S. would be able to pull all of its troops out of the villages even by 2013. He noted that the U.S. plans to continue counterterrorism operations and advising the Afghan forces.
A rapid pullout from rural areas would have a devastating effect on U.S. ability to challenge the Taliban on the battlefield.
Unlike the Iraq War, where most combat was in towns and cities, the Afghan conflict is a struggle to secure rural hamlets and remote mountain valleys used by the militants to move in and out of sanctuaries in neighboring Pakistan.
It would essentially mean the end of the strategy of trying to win hearts and minds by working with and protecting the local populations.
Karzai is known for making dramatic demands and then backing off under U.S. pressure. The call for a pullback will likely become another issue of contention between the Afghans and their international allies at a time of growing war weariness in the United States and other coalition countries.
Karzai spoke as Afghan lawmakers were expressing outrage that the U.S. flew the soldier suspected of gunning down 16 civilians early Sunday in two Afghan villages to Kuwait on Wednesday night. They were demanding that the suspect be tried in the country.
SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday.
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