Is US leaving Afghanistan in 2014 or the Generals lying?

[FireFighter]

Why are retired and current generals lying to the whole nation and misleading the public by constantly giving false hope to the nation that the US/NATO is going to leave in 2014?

When all the evidence suggests otherwise; that they're here to stay and invest in this part of the world and occupy the natural resources for the next century or so to elevate from the deep economic depression and turmoil their countries are facing. For example they participated in WW2 precisely for economic benefit which helped them get out of the deep depression of the 1930s.

Generals like Durrani, Aslam Beg, etc. constantly come on tv shows and give blatant statements that the US is going to leave in 2014, nation need not be worried, etc. however the original withdrawal was supposed to take place in 2011/12, but now its been postponed to 2014. Aren't these blatant lies and disinformation being spread to qualm the rising public sentiments that are questioning Pakistan's shaky participation in WOT? What disappoints me are the so called hardcore self proclaimed 'islamist' genenrals like Hamid Gul that are also on this bandwagon.

But the reality on the ground states otherwise. Logic dictates that a superpower that spends 100s of billion on a country, will never simply walk away from it. They still occupy Germany, Japan, South Korea, to name a few, and have never walked away from an occupation unless they're deliberately kicked out like it was done in vietnam and latin American countries.

It's hard to blindly consume the American propaganda that US is leaving soon in 2014.

Can anyone convince me how a superpower is going to just walk away from $500+ billion investment and thousands of casualties?

 

[President Camacho]

No timeframe for US shift in Afghanistan: Panetta

HALIFAX, Canada — Pentagon chief Leon Panetta said Friday it was too early to say when US forces might pull back from combat operations in Afghanistan after the US Marine Corps commander suggested the move might come within a year for his forces.

Panetta, speaking during a visit to Canada, said the United States and its allies were working to eventually hand over combat duties to Afghan forces but there was no deadline for the transfer.

"We're moving in the right direction," he told reporters at a joint news conference with Canada's Defence Minister Peter MacKay.

"We're trying to get the Afghan army and the Afghan police to assume more of the responsibilities with regards to combat operations. But this is going to take a transition period and I would not assign a particular date or timeframe for that," he said.

The Pentagon chief was asked about comments from the commandant of the US Marine Corps, General James Amos, who said in an interview that he expected Marines in the southern Helmand province to shift in coming months from fighting insurgents to training and advising Afghan forces.

"I'm pretty confident... that over the next 12 months that we can transition from what you would call classic counter-insurgency operations to... training and advising" Afghan forces, Amos said in an interview with The Hill newspaper.

The roughly 20,000 Marines deployed in Helmand are "working really hard" to bolster local governments and security forces there, the general said.

"I'm very confident that the Afghans can take care of this on their own," Amos was quoted as saying.

The general's comments follow signals from the Pentagon that commanders are looking at a change in strategy that would mean taking a supporting role as soon as next year, which could possibly pave the way for a faster drawdown of US troops.

Such a change would allow more time for coalition troops to build up the Afghan forces and provide help when things go wrong, officials say.

Under current plans endorsed by NATO, the US-led force is due to hand over security for the whole country by the end of 2014, though US officials have hinted at a possible smaller, follow-on force.

With 97,000 US troops and 45,000 allied soldiers, the NATO-led force has concentrated on rolling back Taliban insurgents in towns and cities while training Afghan army and police.

US commanders have tended to push for more time for combat operations and for delaying withdrawals of troops as much as possible, but some inside and outside the Pentagon are arguing for handing over to Afghan forces sooner while more NATO boots are still on the ground.

MacKay suggested the NATO-led coalition was hoping to push the transition effort forward at a more rapid pace.

"There is a desire in fact, and I would suggest it's happening, to meet and exceed timelines. Whether we'll get there is going to depend on this very focused effort to train Afghan security forces," he told reporters.

MacKay and Panetta were speaking at the start of the Halifax International Security Forum, which gathers defense ministers from around the world.

 

[Rig Vedic]

The only way NATO can withdraw is if all ethnic groups in Afghanistan feel secure about Pakistan's intentions.

 

[FireFighter]

The only way NATO can withdraw is if all ethnic groups in Afghanistan feel secure about Pakistan's intentions.

You mean if all ethnic groups get united to throw the invaders out?

Sounds like an awesome plan one day it will materialise hopefully inshallah

 

[Rig Vedic]

You mean if all ethnic groups get united to throw the invaders out?

Sounds like an awesome plan one day it will materialise hopefully inshallah

Most Afghans feel that Pakistan is the invader. How can NATO leave in these conditions?

 

[FireFighter]

Most Afghans feel that Pakistan is the invader. How can NATO leave in these conditions?

Pakistan is not occupying afghanistan with 150,000 soldiers. Why are you lying to yourself and your nation?

 

[bdslph]

USA will not with draws completely from Afghanistan but they will keep many troops still there and also the Afgan takes Pakistan as a enemy country

 

[W.11]

US will leave even soon, how long it stayed in veitnam?? 10-20 yrs most

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Why are retired and current generals lying to the whole nation and misleading the public by constantly giving false hope to the nation that the US/NATO is going to leave in 2014?

When all the evidence suggests otherwise; that they're here to stay and invest in this part of the world and occupy the natural resources for the next century or so to elevate from the deep economic depression and turmoil their countries are facing. For example they participated in WW2 precisely for economic benefit which helped them get out of the deep depression of the 1930s.

Generals like Durrani, Aslam Beg, etc. constantly come on tv shows and give blatant statements that the US is going to leave in 2014, nation need not be worried, etc. however the original withdrawal was supposed to take place in 2011/12, but now its been postponed to 2014. Aren't these blatant lies and disinformation being spread to qualm the rising public sentiments that are questioning Pakistan's shaky participation in WOT? What disappoints me are the so called hardcore self proclaimed 'islamist' genenrals like Hamid Gul that are also on this bandwagon.

But the reality on the ground states otherwise. Logic dictates that a superpower that spends 100s of billion on a country, will never simply walk away from it. They still occupy Germany, Japan, South Korea, to name a few, and have never walked away from an occupation unless they're deliberately kicked out like it was done in vietnam and latin American countries.

It's hard to blindly consume the American propaganda that US is leaving soon in 2014.

Can anyone convince me how a superpower is going to just walk away from $500+ billion investment and thousands of casualties?

Can anyone with a half-way decent brain believe that the Americans are just gonna "up and out" in 2014? Is it believable that the American presence is just going to terminate and just like that? Not to even mention that there are so many ways to maintain a presence.

Anybody (including the afore-mentioned Gernails) who believes that fiction will do so at their own peril.

 

[Bhairava]

The most possible scenario post-2014 would be

-- US/ISAF withdrawing most of the combat operations and giving the responsibility to the ANA

-- Some US combat troops & combat aircraft remain for bolstering the ANA in its ground ops.

-- US establishing three or four permanent mil bases around Afghanistan where most of the minerals lie.

-- US,China & India happily extract the minerals paying the Afghan Govt ,thus boosting the Afghan economy.

 

[Sher Malang]

The most possible scenario post-2014 would be

-- US/ISAF withdrawing most of the combat operations and giving the responsibility to the ANA

-- Some US combat troops & combat aircraft remain for bolstering the ANA in its ground ops.

-- US establishing three or four permanent mil bases around Afghanistan where most of the minerals lie.

-- US,China & India happily extract the minerals paying the Afghan Govt ,thus boosting the Afghan economy.

^these are the most possible scenarios except the third one, plus if you guys ever go and see their bases in Sharan, Shindand, Bagram, Lashkargah and Kandahar you will not believe it they are going to leave in 2014.

 

[Black Widow]

US will leave even soon, how long it stayed in veitnam?? 10-20 yrs most

Comparing Orange with Apple.. USA will leave (With NATO) But they will make an infrastructure such that the Afghan will be able to tackle internal and external threats...

I hope Afghanistn will turn like South Korea, Happy, rich, secular (In terms of Ethenic group) and prosperous.

 

[Edevelop]

Americans don't have the money to run this war. As simple as that. They could stay where they are, however, the longer they stay, the quicker they become a 3rd world country.

 

[Bhairava]

^these are the most possible scenarios except the third one, plus if you guys ever go and see their bases in Sharan, Shindand, Bagram, Lashkargah and Kandahar you will not believe it they are going to leave in 2014.

Why ?

Is it because they have already established the bases ?

BTW mate, I can never go there & see..so tell me what's special there

 

[Sher Malang]

Why ?

Is it because they have already established the bases ?

BTW mate, I can never go there & see..so tell me what's special there

Because allowing their bases near mineral deposits and cities were rejected by most of the committees in Loya Jirga.

They have and are spending billions on the infrastructure of those bases and building them as large as a small city.