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unhappycamper

(60,364 posts)
Tue Jan 21, 2014, 07:53 AM Jan 2014

2014, When the US Deals with Karzai

http://watchingamerica.com/News/230150/2014-when-the-us-deals-with-karzai/

Spending so much money and sacrificing that many lives, the Afghan government and military still seem insufferably weak, which doesn't satisfy the American public. Americans are weary of the war in Afghanistan. This failure is, as predicted, on the head of Americans. In the end, all those who have invaded Afghanistan seeking change are drained of all strength.

2014, When the US Deals with Karzai
View China, China
By Wang Jin
Translated By Renee Loeffler
6 January 2014
Edited by Jane Lee

~snip~

Actually Karzai is not the only one in a difficult position; the U.S. government and military in Afghanistan also have a “mountain” of pressure. On the one hand, it is clear domestically that after withdrawing from Afghanistan, there is a strong possibility that all the reconstruction since 2002 will be undone; but on the other hand, the U.S., with current domestic economic issues and the public anti-war attitude, must choose to reluctantly “withdraw” troops.

In a recent opinion poll, the number of Americans against the war in Afghanistan reached even higher than during the Vietnam War 40 years ago. The poll showed that only 17 percent of Americans support the war in Afghanistan, those against it reaching 82 percent. This is a substantial drop compared to the 52 percent of supporters in the last survey four years ago. The poll also showed that only about 30 percent of Americans think the U.S. is winning the war in Afghanistan. In addition, an overwhelming majority hope the U.S. military can pull out of Afghanistan before the end of Obama's term in office.

Actually, Americans’ loss of confidence in the war in Afghanistan is not unusual; Afghanistan is like a bottomless pit, sucking in a huge part of U.S. resources and manpower over many years. From 2002 to today, the U.S. has already spent $100 billion in financial aid. This, of course, is only “on the surface”—many “secret” funds have been sent. For example, money to entice different Afghan political parties, “bribes” for military factions, construction and supplies used by the U.S. Army stationed in Afghanistan, etc.—these are not calculated.

For so much investment, Afghanistan does not live up to the ideal political and military structure imagined by the U.S. In 2009 during the first Afghan presidential election, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi publicly criticized Karzai for fraud in the election, calling Karzai unworthy of U.S. support. Previously, on a sudden visit to Afghanistan, Obama criticized Karzai of corruption. In April of last year, The New York Times published an article about the CIA giving Karzai money, which really shocked the American public. The report gave a detailed description of tens of millions of dollars given by the CIA, which was “packed into suitcases, backpacks and, on occasion, plastic shopping bags,” sent to the Afghan presidential office “about once a month.”
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2014, When the US Deals with Karzai (Original Post) unhappycamper Jan 2014 OP
At some point customerserviceguy Jan 2014 #1

customerserviceguy

(25,183 posts)
1. At some point
Tue Jan 21, 2014, 08:11 AM
Jan 2014

the Karzai kleptocracy will just pull out, and live off the many millions they've managed to stash away in Swiss bank accounts.

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