Karzai made his bed.
The
Afghanistan Presidential Elections are now just days away and the increase in
violence have made each candidate a target. President Karzai has not quelled
these attacks with his constant banter towards American policies and tactics in
Afghanistan and surrounding countries. President Karzai has openly discussed
treaties with the Taliban and has released prisoners without United States
consent or advisement. Is currently holding a Tri-Lateral peace meeting with
Tajik (Taliban) presidents and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. All these
activities and talks are blatant jabs at U.S. interests. Chairman of Joint
Chief of Staffs General Martin Dempsey, when approached about the recent events
and up and coming ending of the BSA (Bilateral Security Agreement), is
considering total withdrawal of troops and civilians. This will mean the end of
the longest war in U.S. history, but also the increased threat of violence in Kabul,
the capital of Afghanistan.
While
looking back through recent Afghanistan history, in 1996 the Soviet Union left
a figurehead of a President in Afghanistan, Mohammad Najibullah and was
subsequently removed from office for being a puppet of the Russian regime then
executed along with his brother. President Karzai would apparently not want the
same fate and with the increased violence in Kabul, the writing is on the wall.
President Karzai has been stalling on the signing of the BSA and with this
passive approach may be to late to secure the proper support from U.S. troops.
Numbers from 5,000 to 10,000 troops are currently proposed to stay in the
provincial capital for security and training of Afghanistan security forces.
This means if the security forces there are not properly trained and maintained,
warlords will take over the majority of the country and Kabul will be a state
within itself.
The world
in general understands that the U.S. government is under a lot of pressure to
bring its budget under control and with that military cuts will follow.
Afghanistan will no longer be a base of operations and any future support will
not be available unless the BSA is signed. The U.S. has lost over 19, 000
troops in Afghanistan since the beginning of the war, and now with mass media
being so prevalent and available to every persons touch has given each death
more purpose to bring troops home, and Terrorism is no longer as good as excuse
as in previous years.
The recent
violence in Kabul with attacks on guest house’s, government buildings, assassinations
of pro U.S. individuals, Pakistan in peace talk agreements with the Taliban
have made the case for complete U.S. withdrawal apparent. No one else is
waiting on Karzai to sign the BSA and even if a new president signs it, it will
be late. The obituaries will read that of heads of state in the future and the
Taliban will hold control of Afghanistan once again.
