U.S. Said to Weigh 10,000 Troops or None in Afghanistan

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg

By Gopal Ratnam and Tony Capaccio - Jan 22, 2014

The Pentagon has proposed to President Barack Obama that the U.S. leave 10,000 troops in Afghanistan after 2014 or withdraw all of them, according to a U.S. official familiar with the discussions who asked not to be identified discussing the military planning.

The 10,000-or-nothing recommendation represents the military’s conclusion that a smaller force wouldn’t be enough to provide security for U.S. personnel while conducting counterterrorism operations and training the Afghan military. The U.S. and its NATO allies have been discussing a combined force of 8,000 to 12,000 troops since February 2013.

The Defense Department also has proposed that any troops remaining in Afghanistan after this year be withdrawn by 2016, when Obama completes his second term, another U.S. official said on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon plan.

The proposal reflects negotiations within the administration over the future American role in Afghanistan even as prospects for a continued U.S. presence beyond this year remain clouded by resistance from Afghan President Hamid Karzai to signing a bilateral security agreement.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-22/u-s-said-to-weigh-10-000-troops-or-none-in-afghanistan.html

[MADem]

1. Karzai is still pissed because Barack doesn't love him like Porgie did.

Porgie called Karzai several times a week.

[Wolf Frankula]

2. None is a Good Number

Peej O'Rourke is a dumb ass, but he did say one thing intelligent thing.
"A Smart foreign policy is one that keeps you out of Afghanistan."


Wolf

[olddad56]

7. yes, zero is a good round number.

[NewJeffCT]

3. "None" would be my choice

How about getting them all out ASAP?

[Kelvin Mace]

4. Put me down for NONE

and an extra order of NONE for Iran.

I want to avoid the rush later.

[olddad56]

8. and maybe none US too.

[TwilightGardener]

5. All out by 2017 to keep the next administration from using any leftover base in Afgh.

to launch or support war with Iran, I would bet.

[Purveyor]

10. Oh hell...that won't stop Hillary. Nope, not for a minute. eom

[TwilightGardener]

11. Sure--but regardless of who's President next, or if there's war with Iran, getting completely out

eliminates the possibility of re-building a troop presence or misusing the bases. I think Obama doesn't want to leave anything behind for that reason, not just to keep a campaign promise. Look at how even McNutz doesn't want ground troops back in Iraq, now that we've been out for a couple years (might send some to Jordan, though). If we still had bases there, who knows what Obama would have been pressured to do regarding both Iraqi and Syrian instability?

[former9thward]

6. None.

No one should be asked to be the last man to die for a mistake.

[dipsydoodle]

9. while conducting counterterrorism operations ?

Karzai has already made it clear to the USA that the Taliban will become completely off limits to any remaining forces who will be restricted solely to the pursuit of the remaining max. 100 al-Qaeda members still in in Afghanistan.

100 is probably more than when the US originally invaded at which time the base was thought to be 50 or so.

[SkatmanRoth]

12. NONE is the only correct answer

We have had more than a decade to win it, stabilize it, or hand it over to the locals. It is time to tell the folks in Afghanistan that we bought them time with our blood, and they are now on their own.

[DCBob]

13. The only reason to keep some troops there would be to protect US funded development projects.

The company I work for has a project coming up in Afghanistan relating to public health and I think those going there to help manage it would certainly appreciate any security they can get. If US military goes I wonder if our project will go also.