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US eyes military base in western Afghanistan
As Iran moves closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon, the Pentagon has started eyeing construction of a new military base near the Iran border in western Afghanistan. American officials confirmed yesterday to The New York Sun that the military has begun scouting out an area in the Holang desert area of the Herat province within 20 miles of the Iran border.
That'd be why they had to move Ismail Khan on to more lucrative pickings greener pastures. |
Two administration sources familiar with the plan said the base would be largely for the Afghan army but that American aircraft would probably be deployed there as well.
| Next year's headline: "Afghans take Sistan-Baluch as Americans move on Qom"? |
The development could give America and its allies more military options should the president decide to use force to delay or still the Persian nuclear program. In many ways, American forces have effectively encircled Iran, projecting power not only from a coalition base in Kirkuk, northern Iraq, but also from military facilities in Uzbekistan. Those facilities were initially leased for Operation Enduring Freedom shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York City and the Washington area. In addition, the American Navy still patrols the Persian Gulf sealanes, making it possible to bring an aircraft carrier into those shallow waters off the coast of the Islamic republic.
Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-12-06 |
