The American military says it has completed what it called the “recovery,” meaning withdrawal, of the 33,000 surge troops it had sent to Afghanistan two years ago, more than a week ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline President Obama set for them to go home. [New York Times]
WE NOW have 68,000 troops left in Afghanistan.
There continues to be no discussion from either Obama or Romney about Afghanistan and just why we’re going to continue our presence there for two more years. There is also the subject of spending energy and resources there until 2024, but if we’re not going to talk about the immediate, the future is certainly not a subject.
“We were not happy about the arrival of the surge troops and we are not sad that they left,” said Mohammad Naim Lalai Amirzai, a member of the Afghan Parliament from Kandahar, who maintained that the American presence alienated Afghans and increased support for the Taliban. “As the American surge ends, the Taliban surge will begin.”
I’m sure most Americans have forgotten by now. To refresh their memories, they could read the ” Names of the Dead ” in the NYT; there have been quite a few lately. I’m sure their families have not forgotten.
one of those 68,000 left is my cousin. His tour was extended. They did the same thing when he was in Iraq, 2 times. Why we are staying in Afghanistan when comments like the above are made is beyond me. They never wanted us there and they still don’t want us there. I’d like to think we left the country in better shape than when we first went in but that won’t be the case. It is a country that is still living in the stone age.