Afghan pullout under consideration: US vice president

[AGENT-47]

Anwar IqbalUpdated January 06, 2019
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Trump is in the “process of evaluating” whether to withdraw some troops from Afghanistan: Pence — File

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is in the “process of evaluating” whether to withdraw some troops from Afghanistan, says Vice President Mike Pence while stressing the need to reconsider America’s involvement in “never-ending wars”.

“The president has been very clear about that. And now, I think, the president is in the process of evaluating options about what has been an 18-year conflict in Afghanistan and determining what our best options are,” Pence said in an interview to Fox News, which was broadcast on Friday evening.

Fox News quoted senior US officials telling its correspondents in Washington that the potential manoeuvre would involve more than 3,000 US troops getting pulled out while the rest would be recalled later.

The vice president’s remarks came amid reports that President Trump had ordered the Pentagon to prepare for the withdrawal of 7,000 troops, about half of the US forces deployed in Afghanistan.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD
Pence also talked about the president’s plan to bring home all US troops from Syria, adding that there would be no abrupt withdrawal from any war zone, Syria or Afghanistan.

“We are going to do this and are doing this in an orderly way. I heard him in dozens and dozens of speeches talk about bringing our troops home wherever we could,” he said.

Asked whether Trump would do a Syria-style withdrawal from Afghanistan as well, Pence said that a pullout from Kabul was under active consideration.

“Well, the president is in the process of evaluating that, as we speak,” he said. “In his speech in August, President Trump, basically through new rules of engagement, new resources, additional military personnel, gave our folks on the ground the ability to take the fight, be at the tip of the spear, supporting the Afghan National Army in the battle against the Taliban, ISIS Khorasan, Al Qaeda, re-emerging in Afghanistan.”

Pence described the war in Afghanistan as an 18-year long “tough fight”, adding that President Trump was now looking for “best options in terms of putting America first, protecting America’s interests in the region, making sure that we confront terrorism if it rears its head once again”.

The process of evaluation, he said, would focus on getting the best results from less of the military commitment and see those resources and troops coming home.

In remarks to the media on Wednesday, Trump also urged other countries, specifically Russia, Pakistan, and India, to become more involved in the fighting in Afghanistan. “Why isn’t Russia there? Why isn’t India there? Why isn’t Pakistan there?” Trump said in televised comments to reporters during a cabinet meeting on January 2. “Why are we there and we’re 6,000 miles away?” he asked.

American talk-show hosts, however, have warned that the US withdrawal from Afghanistan could further degrade security and jeopardise possible peace talks with the Taliban aimed at ending the insurgency.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2019
https://www.dawn.com/news/1455785

 

[Maxpane]

why we should fight jn Afghanistan? Dud they start war for us ? its your war. you have to bear the consequences

 

[UnitedPak]

The main problem Trump is facing is that the US cannot keep the number of troops at the current level. ANA is being obliterated and Taliban are expanding. Their security cannot be sustained at this rate. His options are:

1.Increase US troops and resources to counter the current rate of Taliban expansion
2. Massively increase ANA resources and troops to achieve the above, without additional US troops
3. Withdraw entirely

This is what has caused Trump to flip at his generals. He probably made a mistake by announcing his preferred option on Twitter first, so now they are engaging in the usual damage control for the sake of negotiations. Trump is clearly bitter about not getting his wall funding so assigning more money to Afghanistan seems out of the question. This was again highlighted by his dig at Modi, which was specifically about money and how the others are not spending "enough".

You have to remember Trump is a business man and he appears to be running the country like a business. Diplomacy, strategic value and humanitarian causes are not in his list of priorities, mainly because people responsible for those aspects alienated him during election and its aftermath. Then, he basically gave the middle finger to the EU, Canada and China by pointing to the various finances he feels everyone is not contributing to. Deals etc

To summarize, Afghanistan appears completely utterly screwed unless they find someone willing to fund their government, army and war against the Taliban.

 

[AGENT-47]

why we should fight jn Afghanistan? Dud they start war for us ? its your war. you have to bear the consequences

Its trump's logic... lol
Bottom line is, he wants out... not just a partial troops withdrawl...

The main problem Trump is facing is that the US cannot keep the number of troops at the current level. ANA is being obliterated and Taliban are expanding. Their security cannot be sustained at this rate. His options are:

1.Increase US troops and resources to counter the current rate of Taliban expansion
2. Massively increase ANA resources and troops to achieve the above, without additional US troops
3. Withdraw entirely

This is what has caused Trump to flip at his generals. He probably made a mistake by announcing his preferred option on Twitter first, so now they are engaging in the usual damage control for the sake of negotiations. Trump is clearly bitter about not getting his wall funding so assigning more money to Afghanistan seems out of the question. This was again highlighted by his dig at Modi, which was specifically about money and how the others are not spending "enough".

You have to remember Trump is a business man and he appears to be running the country like a business. Diplomacy, strategic value and humanitarian causes are not in his list of priorities, mainly because people responsible for those aspects alienated him during election and its aftermath. Then, he basically gave the middle finger to the EU, Canada and China by pointing to the various finances he feels everyone is not contributing to. Deals etc

To summarize, Afghanistan appears completely utterly screwed unless they find someone willing to fund their government, army and war against the Taliban.

Agreed.

 

[Maxpane]

Its trump's logic... lol
Bottom line is, he wants out... not just a partial troops withdrawl...

yes sir. he knows USA is f#@ked in Afghanistan for 18 years

 

[Orca]

Anwar IqbalUpdated January 06, 2019
Facebook Count25
Twitter Share
18

Trump is in the “process of evaluating” whether to withdraw some troops from Afghanistan: Pence — File

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is in the “process of evaluating” whether to withdraw some troops from Afghanistan, says Vice President Mike Pence while stressing the need to reconsider America’s involvement in “never-ending wars”.

“The president has been very clear about that. And now, I think, the president is in the process of evaluating options about what has been an 18-year conflict in Afghanistan and determining what our best options are,” Pence said in an interview to Fox News, which was broadcast on Friday evening.

Fox News quoted senior US officials telling its correspondents in Washington that the potential manoeuvre would involve more than 3,000 US troops getting pulled out while the rest would be recalled later.

The vice president’s remarks came amid reports that President Trump had ordered the Pentagon to prepare for the withdrawal of 7,000 troops, about half of the US forces deployed in Afghanistan.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD
Pence also talked about the president’s plan to bring home all US troops from Syria, adding that there would be no abrupt withdrawal from any war zone, Syria or Afghanistan.

“We are going to do this and are doing this in an orderly way. I heard him in dozens and dozens of speeches talk about bringing our troops home wherever we could,” he said.

Asked whether Trump would do a Syria-style withdrawal from Afghanistan as well, Pence said that a pullout from Kabul was under active consideration.

“Well, the president is in the process of evaluating that, as we speak,” he said. “In his speech in August, President Trump, basically through new rules of engagement, new resources, additional military personnel, gave our folks on the ground the ability to take the fight, be at the tip of the spear, supporting the Afghan National Army in the battle against the Taliban, ISIS Khorasan, Al Qaeda, re-emerging in Afghanistan.”

Pence described the war in Afghanistan as an 18-year long “tough fight”, adding that President Trump was now looking for “best options in terms of putting America first, protecting America’s interests in the region, making sure that we confront terrorism if it rears its head once again”.

The process of evaluation, he said, would focus on getting the best results from less of the military commitment and see those resources and troops coming home.

In remarks to the media on Wednesday, Trump also urged other countries, specifically Russia, Pakistan, and India, to become more involved in the fighting in Afghanistan. “Why isn’t Russia there? Why isn’t India there? Why isn’t Pakistan there?” Trump said in televised comments to reporters during a cabinet meeting on January 2. “Why are we there and we’re 6,000 miles away?” he asked.

American talk-show hosts, however, have warned that the US withdrawal from Afghanistan could further degrade security and jeopardise possible peace talks with the Taliban aimed at ending the insurgency.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2019
https://www.dawn.com/news/1455785

But but no tweet from Donald Trump (An Indian Thought)

 

[AGENT-47]

But but no tweet from Donald Trump (An Indian Thought)

Yup. Good news is they look serious about complete withdrawal... Unlike before...

yes sir. he knows USA is f#@ked in Afghanistan for 18 years

Tbh, I still don't understand what a country/empire like USA, with an annual military budget exceeding 700 billion USD, has to lose even if they chose to stay in Afghanistan... Its a strategic military base afterall... the only reason I can think of is Donald Trump's twisted and impulsive foreign policy as UnitedPak has suggested... Also, Trump might be sore over India's S-400 deal, refusal to stop imports of Iranian oil and failure in Dokhlam...

 

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

The main problem Trump is facing is that the US cannot keep the number of troops at the current level. ANA is being obliterated and Taliban are expanding. Their security cannot be sustained at this rate. His options are:

1.Increase US troops and resources to counter the current rate of Taliban expansion
2. Massively increase ANA resources and troops to achieve the above, without additional US troops
3. Withdraw entirely

This is what has caused Trump to flip at his generals. He probably made a mistake by announcing his preferred option on Twitter first, so now they are engaging in the usual damage control for the sake of negotiations. Trump is clearly bitter about not getting his wall funding so assigning more money to Afghanistan seems out of the question. This was again highlighted by his dig at Modi, which was specifically about money and how the others are not spending "enough".

You have to remember Trump is a business man and he appears to be running the country like a business. Diplomacy, strategic value and humanitarian causes are not in his list of priorities, mainly because people responsible for those aspects alienated him during election and its aftermath. Then, he basically gave the middle finger to the EU, Canada and China by pointing to the various finances he feels everyone is not contributing to. Deals etc

To summarize, Afghanistan appears completely utterly screwed unless they find someone willing to fund their government, army and war against the Taliban.

Afganistan is just another costs center!!! It needs to crossed out for it’s ROI is -100....

 

[Pakhtoon yum]

Anwar IqbalUpdated January 06, 2019
Facebook Count25
Twitter Share
18

Trump is in the “process of evaluating” whether to withdraw some troops from Afghanistan: Pence — File

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is in the “process of evaluating” whether to withdraw some troops from Afghanistan, says Vice President Mike Pence while stressing the need to reconsider America’s involvement in “never-ending wars”.

“The president has been very clear about that. And now, I think, the president is in the process of evaluating options about what has been an 18-year conflict in Afghanistan and determining what our best options are,” Pence said in an interview to Fox News, which was broadcast on Friday evening.

Fox News quoted senior US officials telling its correspondents in Washington that the potential manoeuvre would involve more than 3,000 US troops getting pulled out while the rest would be recalled later.

The vice president’s remarks came amid reports that President Trump had ordered the Pentagon to prepare for the withdrawal of 7,000 troops, about half of the US forces deployed in Afghanistan.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD
Pence also talked about the president’s plan to bring home all US troops from Syria, adding that there would be no abrupt withdrawal from any war zone, Syria or Afghanistan.

“We are going to do this and are doing this in an orderly way. I heard him in dozens and dozens of speeches talk about bringing our troops home wherever we could,” he said.

Asked whether Trump would do a Syria-style withdrawal from Afghanistan as well, Pence said that a pullout from Kabul was under active consideration.

“Well, the president is in the process of evaluating that, as we speak,” he said. “In his speech in August, President Trump, basically through new rules of engagement, new resources, additional military personnel, gave our folks on the ground the ability to take the fight, be at the tip of the spear, supporting the Afghan National Army in the battle against the Taliban, ISIS Khorasan, Al Qaeda, re-emerging in Afghanistan.”

Pence described the war in Afghanistan as an 18-year long “tough fight”, adding that President Trump was now looking for “best options in terms of putting America first, protecting America’s interests in the region, making sure that we confront terrorism if it rears its head once again”.

The process of evaluation, he said, would focus on getting the best results from less of the military commitment and see those resources and troops coming home.

In remarks to the media on Wednesday, Trump also urged other countries, specifically Russia, Pakistan, and India, to become more involved in the fighting in Afghanistan. “Why isn’t Russia there? Why isn’t India there? Why isn’t Pakistan there?” Trump said in televised comments to reporters during a cabinet meeting on January 2. “Why are we there and we’re 6,000 miles away?” he asked.

American talk-show hosts, however, have warned that the US withdrawal from Afghanistan could further degrade security and jeopardise possible peace talks with the Taliban aimed at ending the insurgency.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2019
https://www.dawn.com/news/1455785

Oh god, that country is going to eat itself and everyone around it. If its not controlled it's going to erupt into a civil war that will drag the neighboring counties into it.

 

[RIP Pak LAW]

Even democrats now want a US pull out from both Syria and Afghanistan

https://www.dawn.com/news/1455933/call-for-us-pullout-from-afghanistan-grows-louder

Call for US pullout from Afghanistan grows louder

WASHINGTON: A US Senator, who plans to contest the 2020 presidential election against Donald Trump, has said she supports withdrawing American troops from military engagements in Syria and Afghanistan.

“I think it is right to get our troops out of Syria and let me add, I think it is right to get our troops out of Afghanistan,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat who declared last week that she plans to run against President Trump in 2020. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee already, Senator Warren already has a say in military matters.

 

[khansaheeb]

Lol, If trump doesn't know then he shouldn't be president:-"Trump also urged other countries, specifically Russia, Pakistan, and India, to become more involved in the fighting in Afghanistan. “Why isn’t Russia there? Why isn’t India there? Why isn’t Pakistan there?” Trump said in televised comments to reporters during a cabinet meeting on January 2. “Why are we there and we’re 6,000 miles away?”

But it was right to send the troops in 18 years ago?:-"I think it is right to get our troops out of Syria and let me add, I think it is right to get our troops out of Afghanistan,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren,"

As usual the Americans start a crazy war, fu$ck up and then run, leaving their supporters and neighbours to bear the brunt of the reprisals and costs. Will the US take their supporters and poodles in helicopters like they did in the collapse of Saigon? No , not with Trump in power. The few elite yes , who led the flock to the abattoir but not the vast majority who sacrificed themselves for America. No , the racist Republicans aren't going to allow them in even if it means a mountain of skulls of those who pledged allegiance and blood for them. The Pakistanis aren't going to let them in as we preempted the collapse and quickly built a wire fence since we couldn't afford a wall. The Iranians will only open arms to those of historical religious linkage and to extend their historical territorial claims beyond the border. Will the Indians let the refugees in? Most likely as they will have a use for them in creating chaos in the Pashtun areas of Pakistan.

So the end is near for the Afghan game and what is the outcome going to be? Only option left is for India to take the baton and continue from where the US left off. If India doesn't have the courage it may well attempt to persuade a coalition of partners. Who could these partners be? Very unlikely the Russians will participate since they haven't forgotten their last beating. But with Putin in power and his long memory and revengeful trait that could well be a possibility.

The collapse of Kabul will send shock waves in New Delhi and Tel Aviv as it will set a precedence that no power on Earth can beat the Islamic spirit for freedom and no money on earth can guarantee victory. The Unipolar world has been re-balanced to a multi-polar world again and the greatest power on earth as been shown her limits and humbled by the poorest nation on earth. The new world order has suffered an untimely demise and it is yet to be seen what the new order will be. The US could well make another stride for change if they haven't lost their appetite. The huge US military complex will be braying for more funds and looking for another bogey to justify it's claim for US tax payer money. It is very unlikely the US Industrial conglomerates will go hungry and will no doubt demand more funds, so the next question is for what purpose and what destination?

We know for a fact that President Trump is very much integrated into the Zionist US structure so whatever the next step, will without doubt, be orchestrated with the Israelis. The rapid withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan may well be a preemptive move to bring them out of harms way perhaps because of an impending action about to be unleashed. War with Iran? War with China? War with Korea? War with Pakistan? War in the Middle East? The sudden attack and annihilation of Gaza by the Israelis?

Another problem that the region will have is whole generations of battled hardened Afghan Mujaheddin who have not seen any thing in life other than war. The Talibs will be seeking their next victim, will it be Iran, Pakistan, India or the Russian Islamic states? The worst case scenario for Pakistan is the Mujaheddin creating a corridor by war to link up with the Kashmiri freedom fighters creating an unlikely but possible partnership between India and Pakistan to curtail their advance or a colossal headache for India who are already exasperated and bloodied in Kashmir.

 

[countryman]

Sooner or later, this has to happen, but I think Pakistan focus on securing border and complete all projects associated with Border Management before US pullout. Regarding who fights afterwards - I think Pakistan should suggest Mighty India's name - they are there after all and now they should be doing what they claim to be doing.

 

[Novice09]

Sooner or later, this has to happen, but I think Pakistan focus on securing border and complete all projects associated with Border Management before US pullout. Regarding who fights afterwards - I think Pakistan should suggest Mighty India's name - they are there after all and now they should be doing what they claim to be doing.

Why should we fight the war of US... Learn something from Imran Khan... don't fight others' war... we are already busy in catching the economic mammoth CHINA... who is moving ahead at a swift pace...

When it comes to help Afghans with infrastructure and other development activities... we were there, we are there and we will be there (if Afghans want us to)...

 

[khansaheeb]

Sooner or later, this has to happen, but I think Pakistan focus on securing border and complete all projects associated with Border Management before US pullout. Regarding who fights afterwards - I think Pakistan should suggest Mighty India's name - they are there after all and now they should be doing what they claim to be doing.

What would be interesting is how India is preparing for the end game in Afghanistan, will their involvement spiral up or will it spiral down and they run out too.