U.S., Afghan officials at odds over fate of military bases

KABUL, Afghanistan — Late last year, before leaving Forward Operating Base Tillman for the last time, U.S. troops took apart every inch of the remote outpost near the border with Pakistan, from the dirt-packed barricades to the flat-screen TVs in the intelligence center.

Mohibullah Samim, the governor of Paktika province, where the base was located, called it a waste.

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In weekly meetings, Afghans have urged the coalition not to demolish any more bases, arguing that they could continue to serve as security installations or be converted into facilities the government can't afford to build, such as schools.

But while many bases are being handed over, U.S. commanders have told Afghan officials that dozens, including Tillman, would have been too challenging to sustain given Afghanistan's limited capabilities once most foreign troops return home by the end of 2014.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghanistan-bases-20130303,0,6238689.story