Article

2005-03-16 Afghanistan/South Asia

Top U.S. General Says Washington Considering Permanent Bases in Afghanistan

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Posted by Anonymoose 2005-03-16 3:15:45 PM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 This ought to please the Iranian black hats to no end...

Posted by Raj 2005-03-16 3:18:40 PM|| 2005-03-16 3:18:40 PM|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2005-03-16 3:45:20 PM|| Front Page Top

#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|| [http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2005-03-16 3:49:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Aha, ZF, I knew it was All About Oil!

Posted by Jackal 2005-03-16 4:07:53 PM|| [http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html] 2005-03-16 4:07:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#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|| [http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2005-03-16 4:17:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2005-03-16 5:21:37 PM|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2005-03-16 5:24:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2005-03-16 5:42:02 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Ima think Bobby is adapting.

Posted by Shipman 2005-03-16 5:47:00 PM|| 2005-03-16 5:47:00 PM|| Front Page Top

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