We're never leaving Afghanistan :( Obama changes plans

[WanderingWinoZ]

fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/obamas-plans-for-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-have-changed-again/



President Obama announced today a delay in the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying that troop levels in the country would remain at 9,800 through most of 2016 and be reduced to 5,500 either by the end of next year or in early 2017. Back in March, when Obama similarly announced a shift in how quickly the U.S. would be leaving Afghanistan, we published a chart comparing the number of troops in the country with the administration’s stated withdrawal timelines. Above is an updated version of that chart after today’s announcement.

[WanderingWinoZ]

Just URGH! I don't konw what the right answer is or how we attempt to keep this mess to a minimum in the future. I feel like we're entering a Vietnam era, where there's no untangling ourselves from this endless war.

[ttt]

This is just so so tough. On one hand, everyone from the Soviets to Alexander the Great has failed at bringing stability to that region. On the other hand, can we really just say "hey sorry about bombing that hospital, we're out, good luck with the Taliban and all"? I'm so torn between my desire to use American power to make life better for the Afghan people - especially women - and the sinking realization that this may be impossible to do.

See also: Syria

[pixy0stix]

Oct 15, 2015 15:07:09 GMT -5 ttt said:

 I'm so torn between my desire to use American power to make life better for the Afghan people - especially women - and the sinking realization that this may be impossible to do.

I don't think we can. All we seem to do is destabilize areas and make them worse.

[cattledogkisses]

*

[StrawberryBlondie]

Oct 15, 2015 15:18:43 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Oct 15, 2015 15:07:09 GMT -5 ttt said:

 I'm so torn between my desire to use American power to make life better for the Afghan people - especially women - and the sinking realization that this may be impossible to do.

I don't think we can. All we seem to do is destabilize areas and make them worse.

ITA. This is one political opinion of mine that has never changed. I think that makes me a bad bleeding heart.

[meltoine]

Oct 15, 2015 15:55:55 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

I saw this today. Right now H is slated for another deployment in 2017, but I had high hopes that it wouldn't happen. Suddenly it seems a lot more likely that it will go forward as planned.

He has 11 years to go until retirement. That could be a whole bunch more deployments. Sigh.

Right there with you. Sorry :-(

[secretlyevil]