The ‘Zero Option’ Will Finally End the Afghan War -- David Francis, Fiscal Times
President Obama is reportedly considering abandoning his plan of leaving a small residual force in Afghanistan after the majority of U.S. troops leave next summer.
The so-called “zero option” is said to be under consideration following another disastrous encounter between the president and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that during a June 27 videoconference between the two aimed at smoothing over Afghanistan’s withdrawal from peace talks with the Taliban, Karzai accused Obama of attempting to negotiate peace with both the Taliban and Pakistani backers, exposing Afghanistan to its enemies.
This is not the first time Karzai has made this accusation, as The Times noted. But he’s never made it directly to the president. Obama fired back that American lives have been lost protecting the Karzai government. The president was apparently considering the zero option before the call, and officials said the possibility of its happening increased after it.
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My Comment: All the reasons listed in David Francis' report on why the "zero option" is the best choice for the West are valid .... unfortunately .... I doubt that President Obama will pursue this course.
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