Germany, France dodge Afghanistan troop issue

[Coventina]

Source: Associated Press

MUNICH (AP) — NATO's top official chastised Germany and France for refusing to commit more troops to Afghanistan, but the two European powers skirted the issue Saturday even while agreeing that Washington should not be left to fight international conflicts alone.

Vice President Joe Biden came to the Munich Security Conference amid expectations he would forcefully repeat President Barack Obama's calls for greater European troop deployments in Afghanistan, as Washington prepares to double American troops there to roughly 60,000.

But Biden kept his Afghan comments general in an apparent attempt to avoid a public dispute among allies.

He asked only for European "ideas and input" on a joint Afghan strategy "that brings together our civilian and military resources that prevents terrorists a safe haven and that helps Afghans develop the capacity to secure their own future."



Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hdrlj4vj4iNQtklj-giI4afPV1CAD966SI2G0

[earcandle]

1. I am not buying this. I, once again, applaud other countries for taking a stand.

Why do to Afghanistan what we did to Iraq and Palistine. 
We don't help anyone.  We just spend American dollars on wars
and weapons, and sell to those where we instigate war.

Fuck the war industry.  Time to stop that kind of work.  It is
no real job, and the people who return are damaged goods we
have to pay support to for the rest of their lives.  This
doesn't work in more ways than one.

If the rest of the world refuses to play, we can't either. 

[Dover]

2. Why? Apparently you haven't seen the size of the U.S. oil/gas contracts in Iraq

Shell 'wins' Iraq gas contract

Oil giant Shell has recently won the Big Oil race to become the first major oil company to gain access to Iraq's energy sector since the 1970s. With no competitive bidding process, the Dutch-British multinational has 'won' a $4bn contract to process and market natural gas with the South Gas Company in Basra.

The deal has been conducted in secret, leaving important information about the terms and authorship unknown. This secrecy has meant the contract was not subject to any public scrutiny or debate...cont'd

http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=3145


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Dec. 2008

The current military strategy employed by U.S. forces in Iraq seeks to create a secure environment in which Iraqis can resolve core political differences. However, it remains to be seen whether proposed oil and gas legislation will promote reconciliation or contribute to deeper political tension. U.S. policymakers and Members of Congress thus face difficult choices with regard to encouraging consideration of the proposed legislation, related constitutional reforms, and oil and natural gas development, while attempting to ensure that the content of proposed laws, amendments, and contracts reflect compromises reached by and acceptable to Iraqis. This report reviews proposed legislation and contracts, analyzes the positions of various Iraqi political actors, and discusses potential implications for U.S. foreign policy goals in Iraq.


http://opencrs.com/document/RL34064

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