It’s time for the United States to let Afghanistan go

[!eon]

Glad she is hope she will bring some senses into the Pak leadership on how out of touch they are with reality.

I agree on scholarship.



China yes, Russian not sure. Will any of these sell you out if bigger interests are at stake, in a blink of an eye

Russia of course through China, rather directly. It's about leverage, which USA has now lost over Pakistan. No US military aid no leverage.

The Pakistani leadership -- it will take another 30-50 years -- culture change is a 2 generation process. Jinnah predicted it would take 100 years to get Pakistan kinda viable: looks like he might turn out to be right.



@A-Team

I disagree -- there is no Russia-China group.

All the bluster aside -- it is with the US that Pakistan has organic links:
a. Language
b. Diaspora
c. Historical ties

Pakistan and the US are like two co-workers who have hot steamy sex but don't necessarily like each other.

American job in South China sea and Syria would be very easy if Russia-China were not on same side.

Of course, Pakistanis want to be close to US but with refusal of military aid, ball is rolling somewhere else.
Extremely close China Pakistan relations are issue for US and it's growing day by day.

 

[Joe Shearer]

Clearly you do not know American history -- the question today is why the hell did we go into Vietnam -- it has no consequence for us -- engaging in Vietnam is considered a blunder -- there is no significant countervailing opinion to that in the US.



The opposition to the Afghan was is roughly 50% -- given that there are almost no casualties in the US. Further there are competing spending priorities: today the American middle class is under threat, that simply did not exist during the Vietnam war.



The house is ambivalent on the Afghan war: Ghani got a standing ovation because he is a brown man dressed in funny baggy pants who can speak good english -- the same way Benazir the leader of a sanctioned Ally got a standing ovation (and was introduced as the Prime Minister of India).



Clearly you have high expectations -- the day my daughter brings home a D-, she dies a slow painful death (is how I've explained it to her)

When my daughter was in Class 5, we were called in by her class-teacher for a pep-talk. H was bright, very bright, the lady said; with a little marginal effort, she would come out of the ruck among the top 10 students, and be 1, 2 or 3. We spoke without looking at each other, without asking each other, spontaneously, simultaneously: we would rather she came in the last 1/3 of the class and had a happy childhood, with NO pressure. Before the poor dear could figure out what we lunatics were trying to say, we had applied to one of the Krishnamurthy schools, outside Bengaluru, for a seat, always a difficult proposition, in that class, almost impossible. That school interviews parents more closely than the children; their view is that all their teaching can be undone by an unsupportive climate at home. I think we passed, because H got a seat, and enjoyed five glorious years there.

This was peculiar to us and cannot be used to judge other cases. Personally speaking, however, and as a teacher, putting pressure is only one strategy. There are others.

The young lady finished her PhD programme last May, five months ago, and now teaches in an American university.

 

[H!TchHiker]

If you look closely, you will find Pakistan is already in China-Russia group.
Gone are days when sole lion used to roar in Jungle. Check in Syria and South China sea, if you still insist.

If you look closely, you will find Pakistan is already in China-Russia group.
Gone are days when sole lion used to roar in Jungle. Check in Syria and South China sea, if you still insist.

I don't think so that Russia and Pakistan have some common group. Russia will not loose a market like India.Recent deals between them are evident of it.
Regarding China and Pakistan its a different issue.

 

[!eon]

I don't think so that Russia and Pakistan have some common group. Russia will not loose a market like India.Recent deals between them are evident of it.
Regarding China and Pakistan its a different issue.

You are getting it wrong. I never said about any defense cooperation.
Russia and China are strategically almost on same side, making them a group. They are not actually an announced group.

Pakistanis and Chinese interests are similar, so Pakistan has in that way relation with group.

By the way China has more influence over Russia than any other country.

 

[Shapur]

I agree US/NATO troops should leave and they should send their engineers and scientists and build our infrastructure and keep providing funds for Afghan Army and Police. After they leave, they should build minimum two state of the art universities in each province at a minimum and build sewage systems and metros for all our cities.

I forgot they should also give us f35 and Abrams with TOT. Thanks Uncle Same the best friend of Afghanistan.

 

[A-Team]

I agree US/NATO troops should leave and they should send their engineers and scientists and build our infrastructure and keep providing funds for Afghan Army and Police. After they leave, they should build minimum two state of the art universities in each province at a minimum and build sewage systems and metros for all our cities.

I forgot they should also give us f35 and Abrams with TOT. Thanks Uncle Same the best friend of Afghanistan.

You are being sarcastic here I suppose?

 

[Khan_21]

The understanding of the importance of Afghanistan is deeply enshrined in those that are serving and have served in Afghanistan. Most of them are now in leadership positions in the US military and the next generation will follow.
I foresee an enduring commitment to Afghanistan and there is bipartisan support for Afghanistan.Hillary Clinton also understand the dynmaics of Afghanistan.

PS . Billions have been committed until the end of this decade.Afghan reliance is slowly going away

Not once was Afghanistan dicussed by hillary or trump during the two debates. They would want to avoid it like the plague because they spend trillions but to no result .

$ 100 billion spend on a country and not one cement factory ? Or a simple thing like a flyover in Kabul .

 

[GiannKall]

They will stay because Americans dont have a problem to see Afghans killing Afghans. Even if Taliban manage to capture some major cities they will put troops on the ground to reverse their gains. Basically Afghanistan will stay in a situation of permanent war. Welcome to 21st colonialism

 

[hamza baloch]

no doubt

 

[flamer84]

It is understandable that officials whose professional careers are so closely connected with the current U.S. strategy would find it difficult to admit failure, but the truth is there is no good reason to stay in Afghanistan.

Yes it is.Better to keep a presence for 10 more years than leave altogether now and start all over again with infinite more manpower in another 10-12 years.

 

[Shapur]

You are being sarcastic here I suppose?

No, I mean I might be pushing my luck but no harm in trying.

Tell me what you think of this?

 

[maximuswarrior]

Another confirmation by no less than the Americans themselves. Afghanistan is always destined to remain in a state of conflict. This unfortunate American acknowledgement doesn't bode well for the Afghans.

 

[A-Team]

No, I mean I might be pushing my luck but no harm in trying.

Tell me what you think of this?

That is why as Afghans must get smart and play this game in a way that also has our interests covered, instead of being at the receiving end. Have you studied how Sweden played both sides in WW2?

Big countries have their interests, if you dont play the game properly you will end up at the receiving end as we did in Soviet times.

Remember our neighbours sadly are acting like vultures so you need some American presence and we need to align that based on our interests for foreseeable future. Karzai nearly fucked it up by being a naive pacifist. You need brute strength and then smart diplomacy to be able to make it in this God forsaken neighbourhood.

 

[Vapnope]

If Trump wins, then Pakistan is screwed

Trust me this is far from reality. If Trump gets elected, you and me will have a discussion on this topic after a year or so.

 

[A-Team]

Trust me this is far from reality. If Trump gets elected, you and me will have a discussion on this topic after a year or so.

So how do you see as the reality?