Without large U.S. force after 2014, Afghanistan is headed for civil war, opposition leader warns

Without large U.S. force after 2014, Afghanistan is headed for civil war, opposition leader warns

Afghanistan will likely plunge into civil and regional war if the United States does not leave a residual force of 20,000 to 30,000 troops in the country after 2014, along with significant economic aid, a senior Afghan opposition figure said Thursday.

“The state will disintegrate” and Afghan security forces will break into factions, said Mohammad Hanif Atmar, a former minister in the government of President Hamid Karzai. “It is the perfect scenario for a proxy-led civil war” among regional players including Pakistan and Iran.”

A “significant part” of Afghanistan, he said, would be “controlled by insurgents.”

Karzai fired Atmar as interior minister in 2010, ostensibly for security lapses that allowed insurgents to attack a loya jirga, or nationwide assembly, being held in Kabul. Speculation over his departure at the time centered on Atmar’s skepticism about government plans to open peace talks with the Taliban.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/without-large-us-force-after-2014-afghanistan-is-headed-for-civil-war-opposition-leader-warns/2011/11/17/gIQAICKOVN_blog.html?hpid=z3

force Bush/Cheney etal to anti up to higher a private force to remain, since it was their war.

The situation existed before we went there and it will exist again the minute we leave. A-stan is one of those places that western means and ideas will never be able to fix. The minute the Soviets left, they started killing each other again. And so it goes on.

first place, a BS run around attacking Iraq. GW had one reason, and one reason alone for going into Iraq. He wanted to get the guy that had threatened his daddy. Now Cheney had oil on his mind and that to me was the reason for an attack on Iraq.

We need to do something bold.

I don't think its a good idea to keep our troops in a country in the middle of a coming civil war. Not very smart IMHO.