Bush, Karzai sign pact for long term US military presence in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush and Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai signed a "strategic partnership" enabling long term American involvement in Afghanistan's security as well as reconstruction.


"I have signed a strategic partnership with the president, it's a partnership we have been working on for quite a while," Bush told reporters with Karzai by his side after their meeting at the White House.

"It's a partnership that establishes regular high level exchange on political, security and economic issues of mutual interest," Bush said.

Since helping to bring down the Taliban in 2001, Washington has remained Karzai's biggest supporter, both in terms of reconstruction aid and its military presence, with 18,000 troops on the ground fighting remnants of the Taliban and their allies.

Karzai had said last month after talks with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Kabul that Afghanistan wanted to have a permanent security relationship with the United States but stopped short of calling for full-time American bases, a sensitive topic in the war-shattered country.

~snip~
more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050523/wl_afp/usafghanistan_050523173010

I snorted upon reading the headline

for anyone to care what was signed and by whom. Afghans want their country back, it is as simple as that.

Karzai expresses concern to Bush over detainees
23 May 2005 17:40:45 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON, May 23 (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai, meeting President George W. Bush on Monday amid strains between their governments, complained about U.S. treatment of Afghan detainees and Bush said Afghanistan poppy cultivation for heroin has to stop.

The two leaders met at the White House amid new tensions caused by the ongoing U.S. military role in Afghanistan, 3-1/2 years after U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban from power following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The two leaders went out of their way to present a picture of harmony at a news conference in the White House East Room, and a tangible outcome of their talks was a joint strategic partnership they signed aimed at strengthening ties.

Karzai, however, told Bush of his concern about a U.S. Army report on alleged abuse of Afghan detainees.




snip




http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N23223707.htm

Not even Deep Concern? Or Grief and Consternation?

Good Boy Hamid. Now Sit-Sit. That's a boy. Heel Hamid Heel. Shake a paw, Shake a paw.

"The occupiers should leave immediately," he explains while sipping tea, "They only came with their own interests and we can manage Iraq for ourselves. We do not need them for any reason."

oil companies--gotta love 'em

table.

Afghanistan 2.0 - brought to you by Unocal and the PNAC.

The CIA won't have to deal with their Warlord intermediaries anymore...