Marines to wind down Afghan combat in 2012 : U.S. Marines will march out of Afghanistan by the thousands next year, winding down combat in the Taliban heartland and testing the U.S. view that Afghan forces are capable of leading the fight against a battered but not yet beaten insurgency in the country's southwestern reaches, senior U.S. military officers say. At the same time, U.S. reinforcements will be sent to eastern Afghanistan in a bid to reverse recent gains by insurgents targeting Kabul, the capital.
Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, said in an Associated Press interview that the number of Marines in Helmand province will drop "markedly" in 2012, and the role of those who stay will shift from countering the insurgency to training and advising the Afghan security forces. The change suggests an early exit from Afghanistan for the Marine Corps,
Taliban paid £100 a month to stop fighting: The amnesty extends to all Taliban fighters, including those who have taken part in atrocities, such as murdering children, beheadings and hanging women. The agreement is part of a policy signed by the British Government in which insurgents are being allowed to “walk off the battlefield” and enter a “reintegration” scheme.
13 Taliban insurgents killed in Afghanistan: At least 13 insurgents were killed and 17 suspects detained by Afghan police during security operations over the last 24 hours, the Afghan interior ministry said on Saturday. "Afghan National Police (ANP), Afghan army and Coalition Forces launched five joint operations in surrounding areas of the Kabul, Helmand, Uruzgan and Herat provinces," the ministry said in a statement.
Karzai: Afghan forces to take lead in more : Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Sunday that the nation's forces will soon take charge of security in areas of the country that are home to half of Afghanistan's population. The handover, expected to begin by early next year, is the second step in a transition that Karzai hopes will leave Afghan forces in control of the entire country by the end of 2014, when the U.S.-led coalition's combat mission is scheduled to end.
After that date, a much smaller foreign force will remain to continue training Afghan soldiers and police and battle militancy. In a statement issued Sunday, President Karzai said that six provinces, seven cities and dozens of districts, mostly in the country's north and west, will soon pass from foreign to local control.
40,000 troops to leave Afghanistan by end of 2012:Drawdown plans announced by the U.S. and more than a dozen other nations will shrink the foreign military footprint in Afghanistan by 40,000 troops at the close of next year, leaving Afghan forces increasingly on the frontlines of the decade-long war. The United States is pulling out the most — 33,000 by the end of 2012. That's one-third of 101,000 American troops who were in Afghanistan in June — the peak of U.S. military presence in the war, according to figures provided by the Pentagon. Others in the 49-nation coalition have announced withdrawal plans too, even as they insist they are not rushing to leave.
We better get out while the going is good, just make our departure as orderly as possible. It is time for us to go home and watch the country with our drones if we are concerned about negative future developments that could affect the US or western interests. Our troops have served magnificently. They have done what was asked of them. It is time to get them home where they are increasingly needed. They can deploy from their home base the US if needed.
The world is changing and on the fast track. We better respond to it and quickly or we are in serious trouble. That is another conversation but in this "small" instance we must get out and leave Afghanistan to its own demise. I suspect the corrupt Karzai will go down immediately but I do believe the Taliban has the strength and the connections in Pakistan and throughout Asia to take care of themselves and Afghanistan as long as we get the hell out. The longer we stay the more will go awry.
James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com
5 comments:
i suppose that means we are gearing up for iran? not sure when folks here will realize that we are governed not by the white house- but by the pentagon...war profiteering has nothing to do with our safety here at home and the rest of the world is not out to get us- they have issues of their own...due to profiteers on a global scale...but that is also another conversation my friend :)
Yeah Billie, so good to hear from you! You know you are dead right. I did a series of stories and whether we were fighting to live or living to fight because we have been at war since our inception clandestinely or otherwise. Take care Billie!
Oh yeah, my bad but you know I have been saying for years that going after Iran is why we attacked Iraq and yes open war is a given.
Couple of things. It takes us 16 weeks to train a soldier. They have had 10 years. I realize that many of them couldn't even read when they started but good grief.
Yes you're right about the monetary gains by the likes of Haliburton and all but even their own people are ripping us off. Plenty of money for military bases there but no money for homeless or health care here.
Lastly I'd say Russia is just waiting for us to collapse. From reading their news they have paid off much of their debts and are in good shape financially. Humm seems the shoe is on the other foot now so to speak.
Demeur Our troops have been exemplary but beyond that contractors and anyone on either side have been taking what they can.
Only our troops want this to end so they can leave everyone else wants it to keep going to their benefit.
Fuck training that army I say. Get the hell out and see how long it takes them to return to their normal.
It is going to be interesting to watch Russia as the people are pretty pissed at Putin and his stolen election.
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