Breaking: Trump considers withdrawal from Afghanistan

[enhanced_deficit]

Starting to wonder may be being a puppet of war profiteer lobbies is not among the many flaws of current POTUS in sharp contrast to last DGP.
There is no military solution there, the sooner this is realized, the better for humanity.


Trump considers withdrawal from Afghanistan

By: Tara Copp and Shawn Snow   2 days ago

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon is finding proposed troop increases for Afghanistan to be a much harder sell than expected for President Donald Trump.

Instead of an additional 4,000 forces to add to America’s longest war, the Pentagon is having to prove to the White House why U.S. forces should remain there at all, U.S. and defense officials told Military Times.

“They [the Afghans] are really scared to death that we are going to pull the plug on this [continued U.S. military presence],” a U.S. official told Military Times on the condition of anonymity.

For weeks, Pentagon officials talked about adding 3,900 to 4,000 additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan to prevent further gains by Taliban and Islamic State forces. The additional forces would join the approximately 8,500 U.S. troops currently conducting counterterrorism missions and training Afghan security forces.

But The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the White House is now instead considering the option of withdrawing (https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-looks-at-scaling-back-u-s-military-presence-in-afghanistan-1501426803) U.S. forces completely and potentially supplanting that presence with private contractors.

Officials confirmed the Journal’s story and said the consideration of a withdrawal is part of the reason why the administration’s plan for Afghanistan, known as the South Asia plan, has been delayed.

“It’s a pretty shocking change of course,” said the first U.S. official who was familiar with the discussions.

https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2017/07/31/trump-considers-withdrawal-from-afghanistan/




Related

Poll: Should US apologize for financing radicalization of Afghan children in 1980s? (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?512003)

The 12-Year War: 73% of U.S. Casualties in Afghanistan Occured on Obama's Watch (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?427493-The-12-Year-War-73-of-U-S-Casualties-in-Afghanistan-on-Obama-s-Watch&p=5221296#post5221296)

Iraq/Afghanistan wars disabled 624,000 US troops , Divorces up 42%, Foreclosures up 217% (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?424803-Iraq-Afghanistan-wars-disabled-624-000-US-troops-Divorces-up-42-Foreclosures-up-217&)

22 veterans commit suicide everyday

Obama's Afghan war "escalation"
(http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?431958)
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2013-07-29-15droneC1.png
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/201...-15droneC1.png (http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2013-07-29-15droneC1.png)
http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/58579388dd08958d7f8b4633-400-300/in-january-barack-obama-wiped-tears-from-his-eyes-as-he-spoke-about-the-steps-his-administration-was-taking-to-reduce-gun-violence-in-the-us-every-time-i-think-about-those-kids-it-gets-me-mad-obama-said-referring-to-the-2012-massacre-at-sandy-hook-elementary-school.jpg
"Every Time I Think About Those Kids It Gets Me Mad"

http://n7.alamy.com/zooms/85c6e9aa9e2d4e639d5bcada1a2a4114/epa04313235-an-afghan-policeman-stands-next-to-a-protest-banner-during-e4pd37.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/02/26/article-2106697-11EB9A51000005DC-439_306x476.jpg

[Swordsmyth]

If it is true it is good, but I will believe it when I see it.

[enhanced_deficit]

If it is true it is good, but I will believe it when I see it.


True that.
He appears to be preparing to be "disruptor in chief" on this policy, days ahead will tell.

Trump says he wants to listen to low-ranking soldiers instead of 'lousy' advice from generals for Afghan war strategy



Christopher Woody
Aug. 2, 2017


President Donald Trump at the White House. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

During a tense mid-July meeting with his national-security team, President Donald Trump dismissed the counsel of high-ranking military commanders, saying he leaned toward the advice of rank-and-file soldiers over that of his generals.
According to an NBC News report (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-says-u-s-losing-afghan-war-tense-meeting-generals-n789006), Trump singled out Defense Secretary James Mattis, a retired Marine general, saying he had given Mattis authority to make decisions about the war months prior but had seen little progress.
Trump delegated authority to Mattis to set troop levels in Afghanistan in June, though the secretary would need (http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-apparently-didnt-give-mattis-control-afghan-troop-levels-2017-7) White House permission to send more than 3,900 troops to the war-torn country.
"We aren't winning," Trump said (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-says-u-s-losing-afghan-war-tense-meeting-generals-n789006) at the July 19 meeting, senior administration officials told NBC. "We are losing." (Mattis himself told (http://www.businessinsider.com/mattis-us-not-winning-longest-war-in-afghanistan-photos-2017-6) the Senate Armed Services Committee the same in July.)
One official told NBC that Trump's military advisers entered the meeting hoping he would agree to a strategy for the US's nearly 16-year-old war. But Trump's thinking appeared to have been influenced by another meeting he had with veterans from the war.
"We've been there for now close to 17 years, and I want to find out why we’ve been there for 17 years, how it’s going, and what we should do in terms of additional ideas,” Trump (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/18/donald-trump-hosts-afghanistan-veterans-deployment/) said (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/18/donald-trump-hosts-afghanistan-veterans-deployment/) prior to the meeting with veterans. "I've heard plenty of ideas from a lot of people, but I want to hear it from the people on the ground."

http://www.businessinsider.com/trump...han-war-2017-8 (http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-soldier-advice-better-than-advice-from-generals-for-afghan-war-2017-8)

[William Tell]

Bring them home.



But The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the White House is now instead considering the option of withdrawing (https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-looks-at-scaling-back-u-s-military-presence-in-afghanistan-1501426803) U.S. forces completely and potentially supplanting that presence with private contractors.No. Bring them all home. Not another cent or drop of blood and treasure spent in the Graveyard of Empires.

[enhanced_deficit]

Once military intervention ends/troops are withdrawn, it would be extremely improbable for any large scale private contractual force to stay in the conditions that would follow.
Afghans will have to reconcile their internal differences on their own. Once Afghanistan stabilizez from deep wounds of freedom spreading of decades, perhaps US and China can do some constructive sharing of Afghan minerals with local populations in exchange for technology services.

[Anti Federalist]

Well, now he's threatening the government's drug running income.

He does this, and he's a dead man walking.

[AuH20]

As he starts to get more personnel in place, Trump is getting more and more radical each day.

[sparebulb]

I won't be fooled again.

https://drinks-dvq6ncf.netdna-ssl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/22.jpg

[William Tell]

I won't be fooled again.

https://drinks-dvq6ncf.netdna-ssl.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/22.jpg

Yeah. No more talk just do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx_ao0

[Origanalist]

Is there anything Trump isn't considering?

[William Tell]

Is there anything Trump isn't considering? A haircut.

[Murray N Rothbard]

Not holding my breath.

So far Trump either flip flops or fails with any of his original plans.

[Origanalist]

A haircut.

That critter on his head needs a trim.

[William Tell]

Not holding my breath.

So far Trump either flip flops or fails with any of his original plans. Hopefully he realizes ending wars would help his poor poll numbers.

[specsaregood]

I hope he does it just to spite McCain. Not the best reason why, but I'll take it.

[Brian4Liberty]

I hope he does it just to spite McCain. Not the best reason why, but I'll take it.

Hopefully he considers spiting McCain on every decision. ;)

[Swordsmyth]

Hopefully he considers spiting McCain on every decision. ;)
Spitting on McPain wouldn't be a bad idea either.

[Origanalist]

I hope he does it just to spite McCain. Not the best reason why, but I'll take it.


Hopefully he considers spiting McCain on every decision. ;)

There is a whole lotta hopin' goin' on.

[specsaregood]

There is a whole lotta hopin' goin' on.

well its kinda what brought us all here in the first place.
http://www.loriferber.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/r/o/ron-paul-2008-poster-white.jpg

[Swordsmyth]

There is a whole lotta hopin' goin' on.
Rebellions are built on hope.

[Origanalist]

well its kinda what brought us all here in the first place.
http://www.loriferber.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/r/o/ron-paul-2008-poster-white.jpg

I would love to catch some of that again.

[ILUVRP]

great idea , anyone that thinks america is safer because we are there is not very smart .

[Zippyjuan]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-pentagon-authority-determine-troop-levels-afghanistan/story?id=48022245

From June:


Trump gives Pentagon authority to determine troop levels in Afghanistan

Defense Secretary James Mattis confirmed Wednesday that President Trump has granted him the authority to set troop levels in Afghanistan. The move means Mattis will decide whether to send 2,000 to 4,000 more American troops to Afghanistan as has been recommended by U.S. military commanders.

“At noon yesterday, President Trump delegated to me the authority to manage troop numbers in Afghanistan,” Mattis told the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee in his opening statement.

Mattis said the decision does not mean a change in troop numbers will happen right now, though he indicated he might have an idea of how many in a few weeks time.

He indicated that additional U.S. troops could be directed towards specific tasks to help the Afghan military like more air power and more intelligence support.

“The delegation of this authority, consistent with the authority President Trump granted me two months ago for Iraq and Syria does not, at this time, change the troop numbers for Afghanistan," Mattis told the committee.

"Together in the interagency, we will define the way ahead and I will set the U.S. military commitment, consistent with the commander in chief strategic direction and the foreign policy as dictated by secretary of state Tillerson," said Mattis. "This ensures the department can facilitate our missions and nimbly align our commitment to the situation on the ground."

In late April, Trump gave Mattis the authority to manage the U.S. troop levels in Iraq and Syria.

[Zippyjuan]

Today: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/2/donald-trumps-afghanistan-withdrawal-off-the-table/


Full troop withdrawal off the table as Trump, aides debate options for Afghanistan


Despite mounting frustrations with the course of the war, President Trump has backed away from an option to pull all remaining U.S. forces from Afghanistan, days after reports claimed the administration was seriously considering the move as part of its pending plan of action for the 16-year-old war.

White House officials reportedly had been weighing plans to withdraw all 8,400 American service members from the war-torn country, effectively ending the mission. Some voices within the White House, reportedly led by chief strategist Steve Bannon, touted the withdrawal plan while other administration officials were coalescing around a strategy calling for more than 3,900 additional U.S. forces to be sent into Afghanistan.

But the White House has all but abandoned any notion of a partial or complete withdrawal from the central Asian nation, dubbed the “zero option” by Obama administration strategists, with many inside the Pentagon privately noting that the idea was essentially dead on arrival among senior military leaders.

Mr. Trump’s move to take full withdrawal off the table shows the cross-currents that have marked the debate. White House officials have found themselves mired in the effort to forge a new strategy and the right level of U.S. military commitment in a conflict where the Afghan government is struggling to regain the initiative from the Taliban and other insurgent groups.

NBC News reported Wednesday on a top-level White House strategy meeting July 19 in which Mr. Trump complained bitterly about the course of the war and even suggested replacing Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. The meeting made no progress in reaching a consensus on a new Afghanistan strategy, which Mr. Trump ordered Defense Secretary James Mattis and the Pentagon to produce.

[Swordsmyth]

Today: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/2/donald-trumps-afghanistan-withdrawal-off-the-table/

More rumors, we won't KNOW until Dump does something.

[jllundqu]

Trump is also "considering" a troop surge to Afghanistan.

Wake me when he actually DOES something.

[enhanced_deficit]

This "consideration" seems to be gathering bit more mass than usual stuff under consideration:


Trump, frustrated by Afghan war, suggests firing US commander (https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/02/trump-frustrated-by-afghan-war-suggests-firing-us-commander.html)




The U.S. military was allowing Washington to lose the war in Afghanistan, President Trump recently complained
The president's doubts over U.S. strategy could lead to the firing of Army General John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan


17 Hours Ago
Reuters
President Donald Trump's (https://www.cnbc.com/donald-trump/) doubts about the war in Afghanistan has led to a delay in completing a new U.S. strategy in South Asia, skepticism that included a suggestion that the U.S. military commander in the region be fired, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
During a July 19 meeting in the White House Situation Room, Trump demanded that his top national security aides provide more information on what one official called "the end-state" in a country that the United States has spent 16 years fighting against the Taliban (https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/24/taliban-suicide-car-bomber-kills-at-least-24-in-afghan-capital.html) with no end in sight.
https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/editorial/2017/05/31/104501205-RTX38BCO-afghanistan.530x298.jpg?v=1496232882 Omar Sobhani | Reuters
An Afghan man reacts at the site of a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan May 31, 2017.

The meeting grew stormy when Trump said Defense Secretary James Mattis (https://www.cnbc.com/james-mattis/) and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford, a Marine general, should consider firing Army General John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, for not winning the war. "We aren't winning," he told them, (https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/13/defense-secretary-james-mattis-admits-us-not-winning-in-afghanistan.html) according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In addition, once the meeting concluded, Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon (https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/03/steve-bannon-is-reportedly-advocating-for-a-tax-hike-on-the-wealthy.html), got into what one official called "a shouting match" with White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster over the direction of U.S. policy.
Some officials left the meeting "stunned" by the president's vehement complaints that the military was allowing the United States to lose the war. Mattis, McMaster and other top aides are putting together answers to Trump's questions in a way to try to get him to approve the strategy, the officials said.
Another meeting of top aides is scheduled on Thursday. Although Trump earlier this year gave Mattis the authority to deploy U.S. military forces as he sees fit (https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/13/trump-gives-u-s-military-authority-to-set-afghan-troop-levels.html), in fact the defense secretary's plans to add around 4,000 more U.S. troops to the 8,400 currently deployed in Afghanistan are being caught up in the delay surrounding the strategy, the officials said.







Related

New U.S. commander in Afghanistan apologizes for Kunduz hospital attack
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
The new commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan traveled to Kunduz in northern Afghanistan Tuesday to apologize to the people there for the deadly attack on a charity hospital in the city last year that killed 42 people and deprived thousands of medical care.
Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr. met with family members of victims and staff of the hospital in Kunduz on Tuesday to express his condolences.
The now-closed hospital, run by Medecins Sans Frontieres — also known as Doctors Without Borders — was attacked by an Air Force AC-130 gunship on Oct. 3.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/22/gen-john-nicholson-us-commander-afghanistan-apolog/



Aug 1 2017
Watchdog: Pentagon Should Declassify Report on Afghan Military Sex Abuse
The U.S. government's Afghanistan watchdog has asked the Pentagon to declassify a report about alleged sexual abuse of children by members of the Afghan security forces.
The request is noted in the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction's latest quarterly report (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/12-ways-your-tax-dollars-were-squandered-afghanistan-n528771), which also says that violence has increased by 21 percent since March 1 and that revenues produced by the country's opium crop doubled between 2015 and 2016, topping more than $3 billion.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/watchdog-pentagon-should-declassify-report-afghan-military-sex-abuse-n788296




http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/ht_ivanka_afghan_dc_071917_16x9_992.jpg

Father of Afghan robotics team captain confirmed dead in mosque bombing
By Max Bearak August 3 at 12:20 PM
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/08/03/father-of-afghan-robotics-team-captain-confirmed-dead-in-suicide-bombing/



August 2, 2017 / 5:55 AM / a day ago
Afghan suicide bomber kills two U.S. soldiers in NATO convoy

U.S. troops assess the damage to an armoured vehicle of NATO-led military coalition after a suicide attack in Kandahar province.Ahmad Nadeem

KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A suicide bomb attack killed two American troops in Afghanistan on Wednesday as they were traveling in a convoy near the airport in the southern city of Kandahar, the U.S. military said, in a strike claimed by the Taliban insurgency.

A local security official said the attacker drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the convoy. Photos of the site showed one partially destroyed armored vehicle, with the rear of the truck particularly badly damaged.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in an online post by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. He said the explosion destroyed two vehicles and killed 15 foreign soldiers, including two "high-ranking officers".

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-attack-nato-idUSKBN1AI14S

[enhanced_deficit]

Well, now he's threatening the government's drug running income.




It would be a major change if Trump managed to curtail this fiasco also that reached its peak during Obama's last year in office.
Trump did seem to manage to sharply curtail ISIS racket that had also had similar trajectory and boomed during Obama years. To be fair, though Trump had called him "founding father of ISIS" but he did not label controversial Obama as "founding father of drug trade".



Aug 1 2017, 12:00 am ET
Watchdog: Pentagon Should Declassify Report on Afghan Military Sex Abuse (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/watchdog-pentagon-should-declassify-report-afghan-military-sex-abuse-n788296)
The U.S. government's Afghanistan watchdog has asked the Pentagon to declassify a report about alleged sexual abuse of children by members of the Afghan security forces.
And while the SIGAR report says that Afghanistan's domestic revenues are down nearly 25 percent over this time last year, the local narcotics trade is booming, now producing 80 percent of the world's opium. A UN opium-cultivation report cited by SIGAR found that the estimated value of opiates produced in Afghanistan nearly doubled last year, from $1.56 billion in 2015 to $3.02 billion in 2016. Despite the U.S. investment of $8.6 billion to counter Afghanistan's illegal drug economy, the report says figures for 2017 are expected to grow even more.

Related: 12 Ways Your Tax Dollars Were Squandered in Afghanistan (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/12-ways-your-tax-dollars-were-squandered-afghanistan-n528771)
The SIGAR report provides insight into the enormous amount of money that has been spent on all facets of the war in Afghanistan over the past 15 years. From an extra $28 million (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/pentagon-accused-wasting-28m-inappropriate-afghan-soldier-uniforms-n775081) spent because the U.S. chose a proprietary camouflage pattern for the Afghan uniforms, to nearly $8.6 million granted for producing an Afghan version of "Sesame Street," the report finds that the U.S. has now spent an estimated $714 billion on both war fighting and reconstruction there.



Related
Trump Calls New Hampshire a 'Drug-Infested Den,' Stoking Outrage
NBCNews.com 4h ago

[shakey1]

... just talk.

[nikcers]

President Trump, searching for a reason to keep the United States in Afghanistan after 16 years of war, has latched on to a prospect that tantalized previous administrations: Afghanistan’s vast mineral wealth, which his advisers and Afghan officials have told him could be profitably extracted by Western companies.Mr. Trump has discussed the country’s mineral deposits with President Ashraf Ghani, who promoted mining as an economic opportunity in one of their first conversations. Mr. Trump, who is deeply skeptical about sending more American troops to Afghanistan, has suggested that this could be one justification for the United States to stay engaged in the country.

In 2010, American officials estimated that Afghanistan had untapped mineral deposits worth nearly $1 trillion, an estimate that was widely disputed at the time and has certainly fallen since, given the eroding price of commodities. But the $1 trillion figure is circulating again inside the White House, according to officials, who said it had caught the attention of Mr. Trump.

[phill4paul]

If Trump actually pulled the troops out of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria then I am sure we would all get what it is we demand. An actual Congressional declaration of war.

[Zippyjuan]

President Trump, searching for a reason to keep the United States in Afghanistan after 16 years of war, has latched on to a prospect that tantalized previous administrations: Afghanistan’s vast mineral wealth, which his advisers and Afghan officials have told him could be profitably extracted by Western companies.Mr. Trump has discussed the country’s mineral deposits with President Ashraf Ghani, who promoted mining as an economic opportunity in one of their first conversations. Mr. Trump, who is deeply skeptical about sending more American troops to Afghanistan, has suggested that this could be one justification for the United States to stay engaged in the country.

In 2010, American officials estimated that Afghanistan had untapped mineral deposits worth nearly $1 trillion, an estimate that was widely disputed at the time and has certainly fallen since, given the eroding price of commodities. But the $1 trillion figure is circulating again inside the White House, according to officials, who said it had caught the attention of Mr. Trump.

https://www.wired.com/2010/06/no-the-military-didnt-just-discover-an-afghan-mineral-motherlode/


NO, THE U.S. DIDN'T JUST 'DISCOVER' A $1T AFGHAN MOTHERLODE (UPDATED)

Despite what you may read this morning, the U.S. military did not just "discover" a trillion dollars' worth of precious minerals in Afghanistan.

The New York Times today proclaimed that Afghanistan is apparently poised to become "the Saudi Arabia of lithium" – a metal used to produce gadgets like iPods and laptops. The discovery will also, according to Pentagon documents quoted by the * Times*, fundamentally transform the country's opium-reliant economy.

But the military (and observers of the military) have known about Afghanistan's mineral riches for years. The U.S. Geological Survey and the Navy concluded in a 2007 report that “Afghanistan has significant amounts of undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources,” including ”large quantities of accessible iron and copper [and] abundant deposits of colored stones and gemstones, including emerald, ruby [and] sapphire.”

Not to mention that the $1 trillion figure is – at best – a guesstimate. None of the earlier U.S military reports on Afghan's mineral riches cite that amount. And it might be prudent to be wary of any data coming out of Afghanistan's own Mines Ministry, which "has long been considered one of the country's most corrupt government departments," *The Wall Street Journal*reports.

And the timing of the "discovery" seems just a little too convenient. As Blake Hounshell at Foreign Policy notes, the Obama administration is struggling to combat the perception that the Afghan campaign has "made little discernible progress," despite thousands of additional troops and billions of extra dollars.

Still, Pentagon officials are touting the find as a potential economic game-changer – and one that could end decades of conflict. But whether it's oil or coltan, rich pockets of resources are always a mixed blessing. Just ask children in Congo, home to 80 percent of the world's coltan supply, who were forced to mine for the precious metal that was later used to manufacture tech gadgets.

It'll take years, and a ton of capital investment, before Afghanistan's deposits can even be mined. And when they can, it's anybody's guess who'll actually be profiting.




But whatever the U.S military knows, and no matter how long they've known it, Russia likely has 'em beat. At a 2002 conference on rebuilding Afghanistan, reps from several countries complained that Russia continued to withhold decades-old information about mineral deposits in the country.

[nikcers]

If Trump actually pulled the troops out of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria then I am sure we would all get what it is we demand. An actual Congressional declaration of war.

it's much easier to get a new congress that way.

[enhanced_deficit]

If Trump actually pulled the troops out of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria then I am sure we would all get what it is we demand. An actual Congressional declaration of war.

Good point.

[r3volution 3.0]

Trump considers withdrawal from Afghanistan

Fake News

[enhanced_deficit]

Trump considers withdrawal from Afghanistan


"WaPo Neocons": With U.S. general under fire, Afghans fear being abandoned by Trump
August 5
washingtonpost




Fake News


You may have a point, time will tell.

[enhanced_deficit]

McCain threatens to give his own Afghanistan strategy to Trump

By Jeremy Herb, CNN
Mon July 31, 2017

http://i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170531164502-afghan-explainer-nic-robertson-exlarge-169.jpg
What is going on in Afghanistan? 01:48


Story highlights



McCain said he would offer an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in September
McCain started his treatment for brain cancer on Monday



(CNN)Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain on Monday threatened to present President Donald Trump with his own Afghanistan strategy if the Trump administration won't develop its own.

McCain issued a statement saying he would offer an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in September that would provide a strategy for Afghanistan, the 16-year war that has been a divisive issue within the White House.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/31/politics/mccain-trump-afghanistan-strategy/index.html





Related

$50 Million Bill: Army contractor in Afghanistan bought Porsches, Bentley, prohibited guns and alcohol

by Travis J. Tritten Aug 9, 2017, 10:32 AM


Details of a Pentagon audit released Wednesday show a contractor hired to train Afghan security forces bought luxury vehicles, alcohol, and prohibited automatic weapons while making lavish overpayments to staff.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D- Mo., published the Defense Contract Audit Agency findings of $50 million in questionable expenditures by New Century Consulting and asked Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to explain by Aug. 28 who was responsible for oversight of the contractor. She also wants to know what the Pentagon is doing to reclaim the costs.

New Century was hired as the prime contractor in 2013. McCaskill said another DCAA audit on the more recent expenses is ongoing and results are expected next year. When contacted by the Washington Examiner, New Century Consulting said it would be inappropriate for the company to comment on an ongoing matter.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/army-contractor-in-afghanistan-bought-porsches-bentley-prohibited-guns-and-alcohol/article/2631006

[unknown]

Would love it if true.

But I'm guessing he means troops to be replaced by Blackwater.

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Urges Trump to Privatize Afghan War & Install Viceroy to Run Nation (https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/9/at_urging_of_blackwater_founder_trump).


The White House is considering an unprecedented plan to privatize the war in Afghanistan at the urging of Erik Prince, founder of the now-defunct private mercenary firm Blackwater.

Prince told USA Today the plan would include sending 5,500 private mercenaries to Afghanistan to advise the Afghan army. It would also include deploying a private air force—with at least 90 aircraft—to carry out the bombing campaign against Taliban insurgents.

The plan’s consideration comes as a federal appeals court has overturned the prison sentences of former Blackwater contractors who were involved in a 2007 massacre in Nisoor Square in central Baghdad, killing 17 civilians when they opened fire with machine guns and threw grenades into the crowded public space.

[Swordsmyth]

Would love it if true.

But I'm guessing he means troops to be replaced by Blackwater.

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Urges Trump to Privatize Afghan War & Install Viceroy to Run Nation (https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/9/at_urging_of_blackwater_founder_trump).

As Alice said to Ralph "that would be an improvement too"

[r3volution 3.0]

Starting to wonder may be being a puppet of war profiteer lobbies is not among the many flaws of current POTUS...


Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Urges Trump to Privatize Afghan War & Install Viceroy to Run Nation (https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/9/at_urging_of_blackwater_founder_trump).

Well then...

[unknown]

As Alice said to Ralph "that would be an improvement too"

It would be an improvement to have unaccountable private mercenary/assassins?

We need to withdraw regardless but I would think that the privatization of this illegal occupation is worse.

[Swordsmyth]

It would be an improvement to have unaccountable private mercenary/assassins?
It would be an improvement to reduce the number of Americans in Afghanistan, It would be an improvement to have mercenary scum do the dying instead of patriotic citizens who joined up to defend their country.
I want us to leave entirely, but this plan would be an improvement.

[unknown]

It would be an improvement to reduce the number of Americans in Afghanistan, It would be an improvement to have mercenary scum do the dying instead of patriotic citizens who joined up to defend their country.
I want us to leave entirely, but this plan would be an improvement.

Fewer Americans, I like.

"Mercenary scum" being in harm's way vs regular military, I like.

It was argued during their use in Iraq that they are not subject to the same rules of war.

Having a bunch of unaccountable killers released onto a civilian population is definitely not a net improvement...

[Swordsmyth]

Fewer Americans, I like.

"Mercenary scum" being in harm's way vs regular military, I like.

It was argued during their use in Iraq that they are not subject to the same rules of war.

Having a bunch of unaccountable killers released onto a civilian population is definitely not a net improvement...
We will have to disagree on the net value, but in any case I would not propose this plan, I would get us out entirely.

[pcosmar]

Why are we even in Afghanistan?

Seriously.

[anaconda]

In before John Bolton, Bill Kristol, and Lindsey Graham throw their tantrums.

[anaconda]

Well, now he's threatening the government's drug running income.

He does this, and he's a dead man walking.

"Withdrawals" never seem to be complete. A contingency of "advisers" can remain to run the drug operation. Unless Trump really wants to go after the Deep State. Then he will need to cut off their black op money tree.

[Raginfridus]

Why are we even in Afghanistan?

Seriously.The opiates, first of all. The CIA had been following him for decades, intelligence knew Osama was in Pakistan, but they also didn't want the Taliban burning their assets' poppy fields. We invaded Afghanistan, under the pretense the Taliban were jihadis, while the poor, secular warlords, who remember dindu nuffin, would bring everlasting security and Freedom to Afghanistan. Well, we remain there, as long as its profitable.

[enhanced_deficit]

Would love it if true.

But I'm guessing he means troops to be replaced by Blackwater.

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Urges Trump to Privatize Afghan War & Install Viceroy to Run Nation (https://www.democracynow.org/2017/8/9/at_urging_of_blackwater_founder_trump).

This most likely would be a spectacular failure and lead to quick end of status quo/16 year old war.

There were rumors that privatizer lobbyist had Betsy Devos' eyes.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8hRDM6V0AAMrT-.jpg




In some bad luck for Trump, NYT/WaPo neocons have started generating headlines about the war that was mostly pushed under the rug during DGP regime. Civilians' plight is news worthy again.



US Airstrikes in Afghanistan Are Said to Kill 16 Civilians

New York Times-Aug 11, 2017
JALALABAD, Afghanistan — Afghan officials said on Friday that American warplanes killed 16 civilians as they tried to flee an area in eastern ...

[timosman]

Why are we even in Afghanistan?

Seriously.

Osama, haven't you heard of him?

[timosman]

The opiates, first of all. The CIA had been following him for decades, intelligence knew Osama was in Pakistan, but they also didn't want the Taliban burning their assets' poppy fields. We invaded Afghanistan, under the pretense the Taliban were jihadis, while the poor, secular warlords, who remember dindu nuffin, would bring everlasting security and Freedom to Afghanistan. Well, we remain there, as long as its profitable.

The new algo is much better! Who did you train on?:cool:

[enhanced_deficit]

Why are we even in Afghanistan?

Seriously.

Some reports suggested it was related to booming drug business but there are probably multi-dimensional factors.

https://globalelitetv.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/us-troops-poppy-fields.jpg

Brother of Afghan Leader Said to Be Paid by CIA - The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/wo...a/28intel.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/world/asia/28intel.html)
Oct 27, 2009 - KABUL, Afghanistan — Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of the Afghan ... The ties to Mr. Karzai have created deep divisions within the Obama ...


The Spoils of War: Afghanistan's Multibillion Dollar Heroin Trade
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-spo.....heroin.../91 (http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-spoils-of-war-afghanistan-s-multibillion...heroin.../91)
Apr 1, 2017 - First published in 2005, updated in January 2015 and April 2017. Author's Note. In the course of the last few, there has been a surge in Afghan ...


U.N.: Afghan opiate use doubles since 2005
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37830957/n...ed-last-years/ (http://www.nbcnews.com/id/37830957/ns/.../un-afghan-opiate-use-doubled-last-years/)
Jun 21, 2010 - KABUL, Afghanistan — Use of opiate drugs such as heroin and opium has doubled in Afghanistan since 2005 — with nearly 3 percent of ...


Heroin epidemic: Why Heroin availability/use has spiked under Obama presidency? (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?500183-Heroin-epidemic-Why-Heroin-availability-use-has-spiked-under-Obama-presidency&)

http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5648f65111231404018b5442-1172-861/heroin%20availability%20in%20the%20us.png



Afghans' addiction to opium ravages adults, infants - USA Today
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...n.../22851573/ (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/02/08/afghanistan.../22851573/)
Feb 8, 2015 - billion in U.S. aid fails to stem Afghanistan's growth as world's heroin supplier.

[enhanced_deficit]

Well then...

Even Erik's sister Betsy won't be able to convince Trump.


Plan to Privatize US War in Afghanistan Gets Icy Reception

August 12, 2017

Blackwater founder Erik Prince's controversial proposal to privatize a large portion of the U.S. war in Afghanistan is being met with growing opposition in Kabul and Washington.
President Donald Trump is reportedly considering the proposal as part of his monthslong review of the war in Afghanistan, where the U.S. is locked in a stalemate with the Taliban after 16 years of fighting.
Prince touts the plan as a cost-effective way to turn the war around. Under the proposal, about 5,000 contractors would replace U.S. troops currently advising Afghan forces. They'd be backed by a 90-plane private air force. The contractors would operate under Afghan control, Prince said.

Unaccountable
But a growing number of prominent Afghans fear that Prince's for-profit, private military would be unaccountable and say the move risks a repeat of the atrocities carried out by Blackwater guards in Iraq and Afghanistan during the 2000s.

https://www.voanews.com/a/plan-privatize-united-states-war-afghanistan-gets-icy-reception/3983217.html

[enhanced_deficit]

TODAY - 11:22 AM


Full Withdrawal From Afghanistan Is An Option: Mattis

US Defense Secretary said on Monday that “all options” remained on the table over a new strategy for Afghanistan and “full withdrawal” is also possible.

The US Defense Secretary James Mattis said at a press conference on Monday that President Donald Trump's administration was "very, very close" to finalising its new strategy for Afghanistan but warned it had not been settled yet.

http://www.tolonews.com/afghanistan/full-withdrawal-afghanistan-option-mattis



Related

Taliban open letter to Trump urges Afghan withdrawal
15 August 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40935422

[enhanced_deficit]

To fair, pressure on him was relentless. Was there any other way for him to go overnight from White Supremacist booster to an anticipated war time hero Prez?


Trump Gives White Supremacists an Unequivocal Boost
New York Times Aug 15, 2017


What an Afghanistan Victory Looks Like Under the Trump Plan
New York Times Aug 22, 2017



Esay to throw stones from outside, let's talk after we have walked in his shoes for few days.

[Raginfridus]

Esay to throw stones from outside, let's talk after we have walked in his shoes for few days.I thought POTUS walked in our shoes?

[timosman]

I thought POTUS walked in our shoes?

http://www.supergrove.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/what-meme-1-what-meme.jpg

[dannno]

Even Erik's sister Betsy won't be able to convince Trump.


Plan to Privatize US War in Afghanistan Gets Icy Reception

August 12, 2017

Blackwater founder Erik Prince's controversial proposal to privatize a large portion of the U.S. war in Afghanistan is being met with growing opposition in Kabul and Washington.
President Donald Trump is reportedly considering the proposal as part of his monthslong review of the war in Afghanistan, where the U.S. is locked in a stalemate with the Taliban after 16 years of fighting.
Prince touts the plan as a cost-effective way to turn the war around. Under the proposal, about 5,000 contractors would replace U.S. troops currently advising Afghan forces. They'd be backed by a 90-plane private air force. The contractors would operate under Afghan control, Prince said.

Unaccountable
But a growing number of prominent Afghans fear that Prince's for-profit, private military would be unaccountable and say the move risks a repeat of the atrocities carried out by Blackwater guards in Iraq and Afghanistan during the 2000s.

https://www.voanews.com/a/plan-privatize-united-states-war-afghanistan-gets-icy-reception/3983217.html


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YHEMR_Zx3Q

[bunklocoempire]

Truth will win in the end, bankrupt empires not so much.