Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Is The Chaos In Iraq An Omen For Afghanistan's Future Without U.S. Troops?

AERIAL SECURITY - U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Marcus S. McCollum provides aerial security with a GAU-21 .50-caliber machine gun inside a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter over Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug. 22, 2013. McCollum, a crew chief, is assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Gabriela Garcia

Chaos In Iraq Could Be Omen For Afghanistan Without U.S. Troops -- Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times

Islamist groups wait for open gates to power

Afghanistan’s war planners trying to picture their country without U.S. troops next year might want to cast an eye toward Iraq.

Since the U.S. pullout two years ago, a defeated al Qaeda in Iraq has reassembled, brought in fresh fighters, freed prisoners and unleashed waves of deadly car bombings. Last week, al Qaeda claimed control of Fallujah, the town in western Anbar province where scores of Americans lost their lives in house-to-house fighting in 2004.

The same situation could befall Afghanistan, as the Taliban, the Haqqani Network and al Qaeda wait patiently in Pakistan. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has refused to sign an agreement that would keep U.S. counterterrorism forces in his country after the end of the year. Washington says it needs a go-ahead soon because the rotation of combat units must be planned well in advance.

Read more ....

My Comment: Afghanistan is already in chaos .... but an abrupt U.S. departure will (most likely) escalate the violence with the Taliban eventually asserting their authority around Kandahar. As for the rest of the country .... expect warlords and drug barons.

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