US declares Afghanistan MNNA

[Hasbara Buster]

Shame on all those leaders in the world who become "allied" to a country that bombed them into pieces. Talking about lack of honour and dignity.

 

[Dance]

US designates Afghanistan as major non-Nato ally and hits Pak with drone strikes - The Times of India

WASHINGTON: Amid swirling controversy over the price for the reluctant apology-of-sorts it extracted from the United States, Pakistan's pride suffered a double blow this weekend. The US launched a major drone attack inside Pakistan on Friday signaling that its policy of exterminating terrorists through unmanned air strikes would continued despite the apology and in the face of parliamentary resolutions. This was followed up on Saturday by the US naming Afghanistan as a major non-Nato ally, a status that was bestowed on Pakistan in 2004 during the more blameless phase in the war on terror.

The drone attack was the first since Pakistan re-opened the so-called ground lines of communications (glocs) forming the Nato supply route to Afghanistan earlier this week. It was reported to have killed between 17 to 24 people, an atypically high toll. But more than the body count, it was a body blow to Pakistani hopes that the US would not continue its policy of eliminating militants in areas where Islamabad's writ does not run. Stopping of drone attacks was one of Pakistan's pre-conditions to open glocs, but the US has evidently decided to ignore it.

The major non-Nato ally designation to Afghanistan, announced during a surprise visit to Kabul by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was an even sharper diplomatic rebuke, since it placed the two antagonistic countries on equal footing, rather than recognize Pakistan's long sought parity with India, now a fading idea across the world. The designation facilitates closer defense cooperation between the U.S and its allies, and in this case it signals the Washington will continue to be deeply engaged in Afghanistan long after a majority of its troops are withdrawn, even as Pakistan is falling off the US radar as an ally and is widely seen as moving from a ''frenemy'' to an outright adversary.

Afghanistan is the 15th country to be designated a MNNA, a list that includes Australia, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, South Korea, Argentina, New Zealand, Philippines, and Japan. Pakistan was the last nation to gain the status in 2004, when then Secretary of State Colin Powell, in thrall of his fellow retired general Pervez Musharraf, designated it an MNNA despite its dodgy role before, during, and in the weeks and months after 9/11.

Much has changed since then. Ideally, the dual designations would have facilitated US operations in the region. But Washington's commentariat now sees Pakistan as cynically exploiting the US and polls show that public in both countries regard the other as enemy. Some analysts have said that the fiction of Pakistani friendship is becoming increasingly hard to maintain.

In remarks after her meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, Clinton said the US sees the MNNA designation ''as a powerful symbol of our commitment to Afghanistan's future.'' The new status, which comes into effect immediately, makes it easier for a country to purchase and finance its acquisition of US defense equipment.

Pakistan and its terrorist proxies have been hoping for long that they will regain strategic space in the region when the US packs up from Afghanistan, but that is increasingly looking unlikely in the way Pakistan's generals visualized it, with Washington bulking up Kabul for the tough days ahead. Clinton, who is on a 13-day farewell swing through Asia, warned, ''We are not even imagining abandoning Afghanistan.''

another shining example of great journalism from Toilet news

 

[Sher Malang]

Shame on all those leaders in the world who become "allied" to a country that bombed them into pieces. Talking about lack of honour and dignity.

Leave Netherlands and go back to your country and start overthrowing the government there then come and talk about other countries!

 

[Hasbara Buster]

Leave Netherlands and go back to your country and start overthrowing the government there then come and talk about other countries!

Read my comment again, I don't think you understood.

 

[Sher Malang]

Read my comment again, I don't think you understood.

I understood, your Turkish leaders are among them that's why I said that.

 

[Gandhi G in da house]

Shame on all those leaders in the world who become "allied" to a country that bombed them into pieces. Talking about lack of honour and dignity.

Your Turkish soldiers are fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan as we speak .

 

[Zabaniyah]

Hey, becoming a 'major non-NATO ally' ain't such a bad thing

That is given that you play your cards right if you know what I mean

Afghanistan need support even from grassroots level in order to be a stable, sustainable and progressive nation. And security is very important. With no security, you can't do ****. A military under a weak government with no support will fail. So, it is better that this happened for Afghanistan.

Although undoubtedly, that process will take time.

The downside of this is that Afghanistan may have to be dependent for quite some time in everything ranging from security to economics.

But what is important now is that the country stabilizes and that they stop fighting one another. They have to rebuild.

And personally, I don't give a **** about America's 20th century jingoistic beliefs, and neither should Afghans. Just use that opportunity to benefit you.

No one care about what India or Pakistan thinks.

The united states will have to dispose off a lot of used military hardware in the coming year or so and it seems selling it off to afghanistan is what they will do , making afghanistan MNNA makes doing this more easier.

The US will be handing over to the afghans the white elephants of the its military hardware in afghanistan , take for example the humvees that are being handed over to afghanistan.

these vehicles have horrendous fuel efficiency , they barely do 12 miles to a gallon , so whose going to foot in the bill for the fuel for these after these are handed over to afghanistan ?

Hey, at least they are very strong.

we are happy to have america and india get screwed in afghaniastan , works just fine for us

Oh I see what you did there

 

[Secur]

who brought them in a-stan? pakistan

The Afghans themselves , just like they once invited the USSR !

No one knows what MNNA means behind the topic - too much obsession towards Afghanistan?

I think most of them can bother to atleast open the thread and learn what its all about and what MNNA means ... Your objection is pointless ...

To do this you need consent of Afghanistan, you have to depend on what Afghanistan tells you. If they are happy with Indian mission in Afghanistan then you can't do a squat. We in Afghanistan are answerable to Afghans government not Pakistan. So all your paranoia vis a vis India in Afghanistan becomes fiction automatically as we will never compromise our friendship with Afghanistan by using their land to confront Pakistan or without their consents. If Pakistan wants to interfere in Afghanistan internal matters with unconventional methods for its paranoia of India then Afghans are not going to be friendly with you.

What so ever you have said is dependent upon the presence of a central Govt in Afghanistan - which isn't present at the moment ... In all fairness , Afghanistan lacks coherence as a nation as of now ... Well sorry , we can do more than squat if we aren't happy or our interests are being harmed by Indian interference there ... ... For the " answerable " question - enlighten me where and what is the Govt of Afghanistan ? Afghans are almost totally dependent on Pakistan for everything so becoming hostile to us isn't a option for them ...

 

[pakdefender]

America is losing the war in afghanistan and making deals with a non-representative puppet government is not going to change the outcome of the war
Despite the indian muppet show of denials and false bluster of panetta , in the end it all become apparent that with out the ground supply coming in from Pakistan , the cost of war very quickly becomes unbearable for the americans , the NDN is not a viabale alternative after all
We may have opened the supply routes for now but we now have a tested weapon against US adventurism in the region and this fact won’t get lost on the military planners in Pakistan

 

[TopCat]

Dont become ally to nobody. AF does not need ally against foreign countries. You have internal problem which can be dealt with and should be dealt without America. Americans gave you the head start. Now its Afhgan turn to take over and ask USA to leave.

 

[pakdefender]

In reality none of this has anything to do with afghanistan
Whatever stunts are going on in afghanistan are aimed at destabilizing Pakistan , A dying US envoy told the truth like it is to a New York times journalist which I quote

As for Pakistan, Holbrooke told me and others that because of its size and nuclear weaponry, it was center stage; Afghanistan was a sideshow - Nicholas D. Kristof

 

[graphican]

Its not about Pakistan or India its about Afghanistan and only wishful thinking an ordinary Afghan would like to have having Pakistan and India both as friends, out influencing each other by investing in their development and stability. India is earning its influence with constructive and positive actions and mind set. Pakistan can do the same for the larger benefit of Afghanistan. Your actions should speak for you not words.




You are saying something for sake saying something.

Support for Pakistan to work against India ? You shouldn't complaint If Indians think/say the same like you wrote above.



oh because Graphican is saying so we will take it merely on its face value. Your COAS who invented the term 'strategic depth' might not agree with you.

In case we cannot make friend with India, we need friends on 3 corners of Pakistan and Afghanistan is a friend,

Easier said then done. Nations doesn't become friends by default one has to earn it especially for countries who try to solve their issues with confrontation. Your nation has few fault lines from its inception and by the course of time with Afghanistan, nothing to with India. I hope your nation will now solve those issues which were not solved in last 60 years.



There are no permanent friends. Their achievements are useless for you. Your brotherly talk and best wishes for them doesn't add value to the topic in hand.

You can not talk for Iran and when you talk for China then you can not talk down/against India trying being friend with Afghanistan like you just did few lines above. Next time write something intelligent which doesn't fire back at you or contradicts you.



Here you go. Now all your sweet wishes have conditions ambushed in it.

To do this you need consent of Afghanistan, you have to depend on what Afghanistan tells you. If they are happy with Indian mission in Afghanistan then you can't do a squat. We in Afghanistan are answerable to Afghans government not Pakistan. So all your paranoia vis a vis India in Afghanistan becomes fiction automatically as we will never compromise our friendship with Afghanistan by using their land to confront Pakistan or without their consents. If Pakistan wants to interfere in Afghanistan internal matters with unconventional methods for its paranoia of India then Afghans are not going to be friendly with you. If they are not friendly with you it doesn't mean they will be more friendly with India BTW.

If people in Pakistan understand this but just want to troll at Afghanistan who is be able to quench benefits from Indian investment then again its not a sign of a good friend and morally wrong.

You had to write sooo much because you had so much to explain, negate and defend which itself explains your position. Bottom line is we are happy having Taliban rule back in Afghanistan which is inevitable while USA and India sweats through something imagining they getting back in Power. I wonder how many months is India looking to sustain after USA flees defeated. I leave some part to your imagination here.

 

[graphican]

So does it also mean that Pakistan became a launch pad for anti-Afghanistan and anti-Iran elements in 2004?

Why didn't you mention Anti-China, Anti-India and Anti-Arabian sea to explain your point further? Present Afghan government is overly obedient to USA and fails to control its own territory let alone its neighbors and their security and they are no likely to gain their power even if USA gives them its blood and bones. However under this increased US influence, india definitely earns its opportunity to act against Pakistan and it has been acting in the past decade which is a concern.

Regarding Afghanistan and Pakistan relationship, we have been living as borderless countries for decades and Pakistanis have always been your support and hosts. We don't feel insecure from Afghans but that doesn't mean land of Afghanistan at the moment is giving us that sense of security. With USA b1tch1ng more, our concerns are only to rise and not reduce. Have I been able to exaplain and convey my point?

 

[mosu]

afghanistani are happy to be major non nato ally but time will tell them turth and usa made this policy to destabilage pakistan iran and china

 

[OrionHunter]

go check the tread on the state of the Afghan Air Force. 43 new or upgraded helos are rotting in the desert. this opens the dooe for the transfer of EDA as well as new equipment which the afghans will not be able to operate let alone maintain the equipment which in turn will give the US the excuse to station 'trainers' in afghanistan. good ploy!

The designation facilitates closer defense cooperation between the U.S and its allies, and in this case it signals that Washington will continue to be deeply engaged in Afghanistan long after a majority of its troops are withdrawn, even as Pakistan is falling off the US radar as an ally and is widely seen as moving from a ''frenemy'' to an outright adversary.

As per reports, the U.S. would be stationing around 30,000 troops in locations including Kabul and Eastern and Northern Afghanistan. So, it seems the cat and mouse game in Afghanistan has come to stay, notwithstanding the 2014 'pullout'. That spells bad news and may upset the calculations of many players in the game who are eagerly awaiting the departure of the ISAF from Afghanistan with bated breath!!

Cheers!