Who will be
the last NATO member troops is a given, it is the United State. The question is what will that date be? Our NATO partners have already left the
starting gate and are accelerating the withdrawal of their troops and funding. Are we going to be the cheese who stands
alone?
The House of Representatives wants to keep
68,000 troops Afghanistan for the year 2013 and 2014. The Department of Defense
has not objected to these force levels for 2013 and 2014, it delays their force
reduction trials and tribulations. Several
groups (Think Tanks) have proposed that the troop level in the out years should
be around 30,000 troops. The Department
of Defense has been strangely quiet on the post 2014 troop levels.
The United
Senate just past a resolution passed by 62 members of the Senate asking the
administration to accelerate the withdraw United States forces from Afghanistan.
Why not, if
you believe the various NATO/DOD reported by statements of the various leaders,
and by written documentation say that the ANA is ready willing and able to
assume the lead in counter terrorism missions, then it appears to be a no
brainer, to quote the Nike Corporation slogan “Just Do It”.
Let us just
declare victory, leave, and quit spending the money. Some have suggested that it will take at
least 30 Billion dollars per year to keep and support a proposed 30,000 troops post
2014 footprint in Afghanistan. If we
want to keep the troops in the Service so be it, keep them in the United States.
I will content that it is better to spend
the estimated 30 Billion dollars within the confines of the United States and
reap the rewards rather than boost the economy of some foreign government.
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