Obama Asks Pentagon to Prepare for Full Afghan Withdrawal

[Purveyor]

President Barack Obama warned Afghan President Hamid Karzai that the U.S. is making plans for a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan by year’s end in the absence of a bilateral security agreement.

Obama delivered the news to Karzai today in a call, telling him that “because he has demonstrated that it is unlikely that he will sign the BSA, the United States is moving forward with additional contingency planning,” according to a statement released by the White House.

Obama left open the possibility of reaching a security agreement later this year, while saying the longer it takes, the smaller the residual U.S. force that will be left in the country to conduct training and counterterrorism operations.

The White House statement marks a ramping up of pressure on the Afghan government as Karzai has continued to frustrate U.S. goals after 13 years of war. In addition to refusing to sign a security agreement and criticizing the U.S. role in his country, Karzai ignored Obama administration protests this month and freed 65 prisoners accused of killing civilians and soldiers who the U.S. said pose a threat.

“We’ve been pressing very hard” to get the security agreement signed, White House press secretary Jay Carney said. It was reached after long negotiations and endorsed at a meeting of 2,500 tribal elders that Karzai convened, he said.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-25/obama-asks-pentagon-to-ready-full-afghan-withdrawal-this-year.html

[Gothmog]

1. Karzai overplayed his hand

I think that it is time that the US left Karzai alone and let the Afghan govt go its own way

[rudolph the red]

2. God, I hope this happens! n/t

[woo me with science]

3. I don't want mere assurances of a drawdown somewhere.

I want to see the money they imply we will save and see where it goes instead.