Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai says government cannot afford to run army until 2020

The Telegraph ^ | 12/8/2009

[markomalley]

Speaking in Kabul alongside the US defence secretary Robert Gates, Mr Karzai said Afghan security forces would take the lead in securing the nation within five years, but that his country would need financial help to pay the salaries and equip the growing number of recruits.

"Afghanistan is looking forward to taking on our responsibilities in terms of paying for its forces with its own resources, but that will not be for another 15 years," he said.

[markomalley]

In other words, he wants either our troops or our money until that time.

Sure sounds a lot different than 2011, doesn't it?

[Wolfie]

In other words, he wants either our troops or our money until that time.

Nah. He wants both.

[Bibman]

What do they do with the heroin money?

[Recovering Hermit]

Well, we’re bailing out everything else. Why not a whole country?

[ClearCase_guy]

As far as I'm concerned, Obama is setting up a cut-and-run operation. We will give up, we will pull out, and Karzai will be left on his own.

I don't know why Karzai is facilitating this plan of Obama's, but he seems to be doing so.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"but that his country would need financial help to pay the salaries and equip the growing number of recruits."

This is a pitch from the Karzai government to the American consumers to buy more of his heroin.

[K-oneTexas]

I believe the Taliban have that.

[4rcane]

the moment US pull out 2011, patting themselves for job well done, Afghan collapse because they could not fund their military

[4rcane]

$20b/year is cheap just to keep Afghan out of terrorist control

[xkaydet65]

One of the biggest erors in VietNam was getting rid of Diem, as he had true nationalist cred. The generals who replaced him were oppotunistic weasels. The biggest mistake in Afghanistan was keeping Karzai who has no cred and is an opportunistic weasel. There must have been some leader who rode with those Green Beret horse soldiers whom we could have recruited to take the reins of the country.

[Wolfie]

Now, or 50 years from now...it collapses when we leave.

[darkside321]

the moment US pull out 2011, patting themselves for job well done, Afghan collapse because they could not fund their military.

---

afghanistan will collapse anyway the day we pull out.
no need to invest some extra money in the country.
the collapse is inevitable.

[MNDude]

Gore’s Global warming ends the world in 2015 anyhow.

[musicman]

"Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai says government cannot afford to run army until 2020"

[colorado tanker]

Hamid doesn't get it. Once Democrats decide to cut and run, they pull the funding too. They don't give a crap about the troops or casualties, they want the $$ for their pet projects and graft.

[ClearCase_guy]

the moment US pull out 2011, patting themselves for job well done, Afghan collapse because they could not fund their military

It will be like our pull-out from Vietnam, followed by the killing fields of Cambodia.

Oops.

[LibFreeUSA]

Give them all the tanks they need. Oh, I forgot, and bullets too. And then get the troops the HELL OUT OF THERE!

If we’re not going to go after OSAMA, then get grunts the hell out! Let the airforce drop MOABS all day long.

We can’t be everywhere we find a towel-head-hating American! If that’s the case, we might as well invade half of Africa and the entire Middle-East!

[Recovering Hermit]

$20b/year is cheap just to keep Afghan out of terrorist control.

I'll bet you a stimulus package that it will end up to be much, much more than that per year.

[LibFreeUSA]

...excuse me - that's "American-hating towel-head!"

[Night Hides Not]

$20b/year is cheap just to keep Afghan out of terrorist control.

For what we spent on GM & AIG alone, we could send those checks to Karzai for the next 12-15 years.

If this is what is called "lighting a fire under Karzai", screw it. Bring our troops home, and promise the Taliban we're going to turn their areas of operations into parking lots. Use airbursts to limit nuclear fallout.