Threats of Troop withdrawal from Afghanistan...ill timed?

Recent developments between United States and Afghanistan have become even more stressed. The proposed Bilateral Security agreement (BSA) has yet to be signed and the future operations in Afghanistan and surrounding area will severely be effected. This is not excluding future discussions with Taliban leaders on prisoner exchange and peace talks. With President Hamid Karzai’s lack of commitment to U.S. policies and recent support of Taliban have raised concern with which way the country is going to head after the U.S. ends its military and financial involvement.

            The U.S. recently involved in prisoner exchange talks to retrieve Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl,  ended by Taliban officials. Reported the Andrea Mitchel Reports show on MSNBC, the Taliban have refrained in any commitment with prisoner exchange due to the future Afghanistan Elections, the BSA agreement and future US involvement in the area. There is a lot riding on the future words of the two current presidents and their stances with these current problems arising. If the U.S. does leave the country, a top Pakistan official claims that 30% of the Afghanistan security forces will desert and the country of Afghanistan will go into a civil war. Pakistan has been the most affected country during hostilities in Afghanistan commenced. This is not only due to it being a border country, but its close personal ties with Afghanistan.

            The U.S. will be pressuring Karzai to sign the Agreement allowing at least 13 thousand US and 4 thousand Allied forces to remain in the country. If Karzai does refuse to sign the agreement, then there will be aggressive U.S. and N.A.T.O support for Afghanistan Presidential Candidate Abdullah Abdullah who has promised to sign the bill if elected.  The BSA will most likely be the single driving force to help decide the future of Afghanistan along with the moral and commitment of its military and how the Taliban will be addressed. The U.S. is more than ready to bring its troops home from this 13-year war, and the BSA will help do that.

Afghanistan already has surpassed any other American war in time spent. Besides this distressing fact, Americans are still filling body bags from an increasing controversial country that may end up the same way Iraq has. Iraq has lost cities and regions to Al Qaeda and Iraq appears to be in more distress everyday with no end in site. With recent experience in foreign upstart government failure and lack of support, Afghanistan will remain in question if it is worth Government tax dollars and life to support its survival.

End State future U.S. and Afghanistan relations will hinder relationships in the entire region. Surrounding countries will have to deal with refugees, troops and fighting at its borders if there is to be a civil war. How just is it for the U.S. to maintain forces and spend millions of dollars for a country that may not want us there? This will require more help from the entire international community and support will for overall success will have to remain the U.S. main priority.