In a speech today [4/17/12], Afghanistan ’s President Karzai announced he wants a United States written guarantee of at least $2 billion yearly to fund future Afghan army and police efforts under a strategic partnership agreement being negotiated between the two countries. Several conditions have already been met included control over U.S. run Bagram Prison and Special Forces night raids against the Taliban. Karzai adds, “We don't want them to spend a lot of money here, we would like to help them save their money, but give some to us too”. [AFP News]
Does our thankless efforts to liberate Afghanistan end with a continuous flow of endless unsustainable American tax dollars to which I believe most will be outraged? Apparently it does and will be decided on who pays what at next month’s NATO meeting in Chicago . I need to hold back and reserve my verbal tirade for when it is due – I’m assuming something this financially unsustainable and ridiculous needs to be voted on by Congress and not just allocated by the president from some endless pool of available foreign resources.
Yes, we can blame George Bush for entering these wars [and we shall], but President Obama shares much of the current blame for not following his campaign promises to end this war quickly. Not only did Obama make promises to end it, but he had a Democrat controlled House and Senate to end it without Republican interference. As does it continue now with a Republican controlled House; our own representative Sean Duffy voting for countless measures that support the war effort regardless of poll after poll showing unanimous unified support to end the wars now.
I was truly dismayed early last year while attending a Sean Duffy meet and greet in Superior when I asked him how his trip went to Afghanistan and why are we still there. Without hesitation he replied “we are making tremendous strides over there” and moved on to greet others guests. Strides to what? What’s the goal and when does it end? Even Duffy’s Democrat contender Pat Kreitlow calls for a plan, but his allegiances and rank and file mentality don’t offer anything more than follow the leader politics with Obama’s non-urgent policies in ending this war. I’d prefer to stick to a decisive decision that is simple and what nearly every American wants – the war is over now and the draw down starts tomorrow.
There should be no shock to the American people if that was the decision of Congress. I’ve seen polls as high as 90% saying get our boys home and I’m sure those numbers cut across all political spectrums. So why then are we still there? This war needed an ending and it had one when Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan but it was passed on by the Obama Administration. That just leads me to believe that there is another unannounced reason for being there because no matter the reasoning our boys are still being killed and maimed, families are being torn apart with pain and agony and the financial costs further bury this country’s future.
Those are all good reasons to leave as quickly as possible. Our guys can’t even fight with their hands so tied up with those damn rules of military engagement our leaders have saddled them with. And all for what? Afghanistan has only two resources that the world would fight so aggressively over – Opium and rare-earth minerals. Its history is deep in the opium trade, even today with the on-going war it is still the world’s leader in production. With the many billions of dollars flowing after every harvest funding countless corrupt governments across the region it is no wonder the enemy is endless.
In 2010 it was reported by the NY Times that the U.S. had identified vast mineral reserves worth possibly a trillion or more. This could explain why Russia and China have such a guarded interest in the region. It could also explain why the American people are not given a reasonable and just cause as to why U.S. troops and financial resources are so expendable. Let’s leave it at that and you can come to your own conclusion.
Extras: news source from AFP News and VOA News; Duffy meeting at Perkins in Superior-Spring 2011; http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/world/asia/14minerals.html?pagewanted=all
