Nato troop pullout from Afghanistan
THE withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan would soon become a reality. Washington is set to withdraw from Afghanistan in due course, a calculated effort to reduce the burden of the war on American decreasing economy. The war is overextended and its cost increasingly outpaces its benefits. Another argument for their withdrawal is that the troops entered the country years ago when it lacked all its legitimate state institutions.
According to the BBC report, currently more than $2bn a week is expended and that has attracted criticism from Congressional leaders. The US has withdrawn 4,000 troops from Afghanistan of the 10,000 it planned to withdraw by the year’s end.
The US ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, said: “We are on a timeline, as you know, ten thousand out by the end of the year that is being met.”
The US military has set up a supply system for them to use, but the Afghans prefer the Americans operate the system rather than their having to. There is also a problem of corruption, with Afghan forces stealing supplies and selling them.
Exit from Afghanistan is a rational choice for the Americans but how true could such development not turn out to be an irrational action. The engagement of the Americans and Nato forces in Afghanistan has been expedited and facilitated through
the cooperation of Pakistan, which increases the influence of the end in the war.
More importantly, as the US and Nato forces move out of Afghanistan, it becomes imperative for Pakistan to understand how to fill in the vacuum left behind. Indeed a growing concern among the Americans is that the Afghan war is becoming more and more a logistics war. The Wall Street Journal reported on Nov 3, 2011 that the Obama administration is considering changing the US military’s mission in Afghanistan to an advisory role and scaling back combat duties prior to the end of 2014.
Thus the forces will no longer be tailored for certain eventualities, but instead will have to be able to handle a variety of missions.
The aim of the Nato summit is to agree on a common stance as the alliance prepares to hand over security duties to Afghan forces at the end of 2014.
FAIZA MANZOOR
Islamabad
yaar you cant take care of pakistan …and u want afghanistan…..i feel pity on u
It is abvious that the Americans came for financial reason to control the enery supply corridor and tap into the natural resources of Afghanistan and conrol the powers which are not under their control. If Taliban were listening like other governments in the region (Iran is an exception) then there were no need for them to be there.
Now the expenses are outpaced by the benefits they can have, so they have to run, whatever they call it is all because of greed. Let’s wait and watch what comes next, but this is true if you want to survive you have to be strong economically, militarilly, politically and morally.
Sadly our politicians and many of the nation is becoming charecter less.
Where was the 9/11 planning and training? Wasn’t it Afghanistan?
No. It was a local show.
Do you any advice for Pakistan?
America found it cannot trust either Pakistan or Afghanistan so the US Congress has decided on wasting no more money on South Asia. Their forces will will leave in 2014 to allow Afghanistan and Pakistan to fight each other.
One can’t trust scorpions and snakes.
The United Nations Security Council are not going to blow the Taliban off the earth even though all of those countries have nuclear weapons.
Only the insane do not know they are insane,.
They may opt not to trust Pakistan and Afghanistan. They should just, kindly, leave and let these countries live. Is it not true that there was less bloodshed when Taliban government was in power? Besides, what was the cause of Afghan invasion any way, Al Qaeda? But, Afghans are not running Al Qaeda, Arabs are.
If you step on their tails, yes, they are very untrustworthy.
As the Taliban & loyal Afghans say
“The watches may be with you but the time is with us”
I fail to see the point of this letter.
Soon it will be 2014. Pakistan can either wait or take leadership. FATA regions are a burden to people in Pakistan and Afghanistan with jihadists going freely across the border and their actions spilling into communities in both countries. Will the Pakistan government show leadership?
The people of that region have been travelling accross the border for centuries. Guess what started the militancy?