Another decade of neo-colonial war in Afghanistan

[Hannah Bell]

In the lead-up to next month’s NATO summit in Lisbon, the Obama administration and its allies, confronting widespread antiwar sentiment at home, are attempting to dupe the public by claiming that the US/NATO combat role in Afghanistan will end by 2014, with troop withdrawals to begin next year. Behind closed doors, however, the talk is not of an end to the war, but rather of an open-ended, neo-colonial occupation.

In opening a debate on the Afghan war in the Australian parliament on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard spilled the beans. After noting that Afghan President Hamid Karzai expected to assume full responsibility for his country’s security by the end of 2014, Gillard bluntly spelt out that the “transition process” would not mean the end to the Australian military presence in Afghanistan.

“Let me be clear,” Gillard said, “this refers to the Afghan government taking lead responsibility for security. The international community will remain engaged in Afghanistan beyond 2014. And Australia will remain engaged. There will still be a role for training and other defence cooperation. The civilian-led aid and development effort will continue... We expect this support, training and development task to continue in some form through this decade at least.”

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/oct2010/pers-o21.shtml

[OHdem10]

1. So glad to hear we have all this money--Wars are expensive.

[Hannah Bell]

2. but profitable for some. it's how jp morgan got his start (aside from daddy's money)

[maryf]

3. the weapons dealer's certainly make out...

on a tangent:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=9360225