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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Top U.S. General Says Washington Considering Permanent Bases in Afghanistan |
| 2005-03-16 |
| America's top general said Wednesday that Afghanistan is secure and the United States is considering keeping long-term bases here as it repositions its military forces around the world. Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Taliban religious militia was "essentially in disarray" since failing to disrupt Afghanistan's landmark presidential election last year. He stressed that a hard core was likely to fight on and Afghanistan remained "a target" for al-Qaida, but he said a reconciliation drive aimed at "non-criminal" Taliban could further weaken the militia. "Security is very good throughout the country, exceptionally good," Myers told reporters at Kabul airport after talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. commanders. Myers said no decision had been reached on whether to seek permanent bases on Afghan soil. "But clearly we've developed good relationships and good partnerships in this part of the world, not only in Afghanistan," he said, also mentioning existing U.S. bases in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. "That'll all be considered as we go forward with the whole global basing construct," he said. "Clearly the United States has an interest in the long-term security and stability in Afghanistan, so we'll be discussing that future relationship." The Afghan government has said it is seeking a "strategic partnership" with the United States spanning economic and political ties as well as military. It has yet to say whether that would include permanent U.S. bases in the country, which neighbors Iran, Pakistan and oil-rich Central Asia. Maj. Gen. Eric Olson, who served until Tuesday as the No. 2 U.S. commander in Afghanistan, told The Associated Press last month that the sprawling Soviet-era base at Bagram, north of the capital, "is a place where we see a long-term presence of coalition and, frankly, U.S. capabilities." Three years after driving out the Taliban for harboring Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida network, the U.S. military has about 17,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and operates air bases at Bagram, Kandahar in the south and Jalalabad in the east... |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #9 Ima think Bobby is adapting. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-03-16 5:47:00 PM |
| #8 I would hope that these bases would be used, in more peaceable times, like they were in Germany, to pump billions of dollars into the local economy. In a way, they are like a pebble in the pond, economically, every dollar sent there leveraging as much as $10 in economic improvements. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-03-16 5:42:02 PM |
| #7 These bases will make the troops long for the good old days along the DMZ in Korea. Stand by for more screams when the BRAC list comes out in May. A lot of folks are not going to be happy as bases close in Blue States only to reappear in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, et. al. where the real estate is cheaper, the people friendlier, and the bases more useful. Blue Staters aren't real good at cause and effect. |
| Posted by: RWV 2005-03-16 5:24:18 PM |
| #6 I always knew it was about capitalist, running-dog hegemony over the poor, oppressed peasants who only want to be left alone to their goats! (Or is that with their goats?) It'll be another Viet Nam! The mother of all quagmires! We need a withdrawal plan, now! |
| Posted by: Bobby 2005-03-16 5:21:37 PM |
| #5 Jackal: Aha, ZF, I knew it was All About Oil! That's right - it was all about (keeping Central Asian) oil (and natural gas out of China's hands). |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-03-16 4:17:21 PM |
| #4 Aha, ZF, I knew it was All About Oil! |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-03-16 4:07:53 PM |
| #3 If Uncle Sam is in Afghanistan, that ups the odds of being able to run a pipeline from Central Asia (via Afghanistan) through Pakistan. I suspect many of the stans would prefer to broaden their customer base beyond their large and truculent neighbor to the east. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-03-16 3:49:19 PM |
| #2 Say, Eric, where shall we put that base in Afghanistan? Oh, I don't know Rich. How about on the west side. Good runways there. Right. Let's do it...now. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-03-16 3:45:20 PM |
| #1 This ought to please the Iranian black hats to no end... |
| Posted by: Raj 2005-03-16 3:18:40 PM |