While the document specifically says the United States would not seek “permanent bases” in Afghanistan, the US military would have “access to and use of the agreed facilities and areas.” Some of these areas would be for the “exclusive use” of US troops.My guess is a few billion dollars a year in funding for Afghan equipment and staffing. Our presence there will be a boon for the local economy, of course.“Afghanistan hereby authorizes United States forces to exercise all rights and authorities within the agreed facilities and areas that are necessary for their use, operation, defense, or control, including the right to undertake new construction works,” the document says.
US troops would be allowed to carry weapons, wear uniforms and guard the perimeter of those areas. The agreement does not say how many “exclusive use” sites there would be in Afghanistan. The United States also would also be permitted to keep vehicles and aircraft in Afghanistan, take off and land from Afghan soil, and fly though Afghan airspace. The facilities would be provided the US government “rent free,” but significant costs would mount in other ways.
US PAYMENTS
The draft agreement says the Afghan government should “eventually” pay for all of its defense and security personal. But until then, “so long as the strategic partnership agreement so provides, the United States shall have an obligation to seek funds on a yearly basis to support the training, equipping, advising and sustaining of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), so that Afghanistan can independently secure and defend itself against internal and external threats, and help ensure that terrorists never again encroach on Afghan soil and threaten Afghanistan, the region, and the world.” The specific amount of payment is not stated. The money would be “managed by relevant Afghan institutions.”
I have a few relatives, they get deployed to Afghanistan 2 out of 3 years. I remember them telling me that we will always have a presence there. They told me that there would be highly trained Special Forces but most of the Regular Army Units will be pulled out and that would be a good plan for the future. They said the US was building roads & infrastructure to control the larger towns & cities for the long haul; so the Taliban can never dominate again. Might be part of the price we have pay to prevent another 911. I just wonder where will the money to fund everything comes from?