Posted on 10/27/2014 10:25:22 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
President Barack Obama marked a milestone Sunday on the way to one of the most important, controversial, and riskiest promises of his presidency: winding down the American-led coalition's combat role in Afghanistan in preparation for ending the long war there next year.
American and British combat operations formally came to an end in Helmand Province, one of the bloodiest theaters in the U.S.-led war against the Taliban and a primary focus of Obama's 2010 surge of tens of thousands of American reinforcements charged with beating back the revitalized insurgency.
But there were no White House statements issued Sunday to commemorate the occasion, no press conferences convened to celebrate the day. Instead, U.S. Marines and British forces in southern Afghanistan quietly lowered and folded their flags in a solemn ceremony at Camp Leatherneck, the largest U.S. base to be handed over to Afghan authorities, and Britain's neighboring Camp Bastion to mark the formal transfer of power to the Afghan Army's 215th Corps. The two countries lost hundreds of troops in Helmand, but the situation there remains so dangerous that the precise timing of the base closures was kept secret for security reasons.
British Defense Minister Michael Fallon said his country's military -- which lost 453 troops in Afghanistan -- had "set the security context that enabled the first democratic transition of power in the country's history, and stopped it being a launch pad for terrorist attacks in the UK."
Still, Fallon, showing a candor often missing in the statements of equally senior American officials, acknowledged that "mistakes were made militarily, mistakes were made by the politicians at the time and this goes back 10, 13 years."
(Excerpt) Read more at thecable.foreignpolicy.com ...
High-tailed? Not really.
When you have a change of command ceremony — you’re obviously not “high-tailing”
More like commanded from Washington DC. That is not high tailing.
A lazy falling River ... Getting Ready for the Happy Times!
And afghanistan just became the next ISIS conquest, with thanks to mullah barak hussein obama.
ISIS and the MB are setting up a nice caliphate for themselves, and obama is stupid enough to think that they’ll put him in charge. Think again.
Expect an obama beheading by ISIS in the ME around 2017 or so.
We just a half a mile from here!
Well, I just don't understand that. This is peace forever in Afghanistan, isn't it, just like it has been in Iraq?
Obama has already come under increasing fire from critics, including his former defense secretary, Leon Panetta, for withdrawing forces prematurely from Iraq.
Oh...well, OK, but that was then. At least this time we worked it out with the native government...
Foreign Policy reported last month that the Afghan and Pakistani governments, which are frequently at odds, have been quietly lobbying the White House to keep more troops in the country longer, but there are no signs the administration is willing to rethink its plans.
Oh well, maybe not... I wonder if 0bama has found a Republican to blame?
Timing seems about right.
Shout “War is over!” before elections. Expect the Taliban back after the election.
DITTOS! We’ve got ‘em!
Half way out about China Grove!
We should have left the entire Country a long time ago.
“High-tailed” implies cowardice. The Marines run from no one.
We should raze every structure we built and vehicle we left when we exit.
Yep...Valerie Jarrett decided it needed to be done now before elections.
Countdown to Taliban takeover begins today.
How many days-weeks-months until the ISIS flag flies over the govt buildings?
This is all part of the surrender plan. People shouldn’t get upset because Marines don’t high tail it out of anywhere - except when their political masters demand that they do. To be sure, none of our forces will be forced out by anyone, they will leave on their own terms, drums beating, colors flying, all in good order. But it’s a surrender nonetheless just as it was in Iraq and it will enjoy the same ultimate result.
No one on this planet can cause our military to surrender in defeat. But our politicians are more than happy to do it for them.
did they strike the US flag?? - then raise the Obama white personal flag - the hanky???
Yes this is being reported by the governments as a good change - turning allied camps in Helmund over to the Afghan military, while others say that (a) the Afghan forces are not ready and (b) outside of Helmund’s main cities, the Taliban dominate & the Taliban have just been waiting for the U.S. led coalition forces to leave.
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