I am willing to bet that we'll be in afghanistan and iraq for DECADES, not just a few years.

[FLAprogressive]

in a few years there will be excuses for why we can't get out "just now", and why we'll have to "be patient" and "wait".

[tekisui]

1. Of course, you are correct.

Obama's last plan on Afghanistan (in March) was to add more troops (22,000) and have an exit plan. Here we are 9 months later, hearing the same song and dance.

[Bluebear]

2. And that we weren't "listening" when we were told so.

[FLAprogressive]

3. I'm sure 20 years later we'll be hearing "just 3 more years" from the next "Dem" president

[icee2]

7. Correct on all counts. nt

[aquart]

4. Yes.

He took history in school, didn't he? WHY DIDN'T HE LEARN ANYTHING?

[inna]

10. Of course he knows history, he's a brilliant and well-informed man and he knows what he's doing.

It's just that apparently he prefers to be a tool of military industrial complex and Wall Street (and TPTB in general). :(

[Techn0Girl]

5. Trust me - we will NOT be there for decades...

The U.S.S.R. bankrupted itself partially over this war after a few years. And then it broke up and went away.

How's OUR financial status been lately?

Me? I'm looking forward to retiring in the Hawaiian Republic one day.

[notesdev]

6. Stole the words from my mouth

By 2017 our troops will be lucky if we have the resources left to bring them home, rather than forcing them to hitchhike their way back.

As it is, even right this moment we can only bring them home if the Chinese lend us the gas money.

[n2doc]

11. +1

Unfortunately, I need to move out of Dumbfuckistan before the breakup....

[hunter]

18. Afghanistan is where empires go to die.

I agree, this will end the same way it did for the USSR. Nations that are under our thumb now are going to work themselves free, especially in the Americas.

[aquart]

19. And who can say we don't deserve it?

[HamdenRice]

8. Oh. My. God! I'm convinced! I was looking at facts and timetables, but since you're willing to bet

IT MUST BE TRUE!!1!1

[SIMPLYB1980]

15. It's on DU isn't it.

It must be true!!11!

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. Bullshit.

There is not a 'permanent' base in the world where we have people shooting at us on a daily basis. And as long as we have troops there, they WILL be shooting at us.

We will be out of BOTH countries in 5 years - likely sooner. Democracies are not built to sustain occupations.

[Egnever]

12. Ok I'll bet

How much you willing to put on it?

[Cleita]

13. We heard all the excuses before when we were in Vietnam and in Korea.

We will get out sooner because most Americans want out. It will be bloody like when we left Vietnam because none of our leaders were willing to pull out in an intelligent way and it seems the same with these wars. What we need to work on is a plan so that we never have a Shrub-like President put us into any wars again that don't involve our protection and self-defense. We, the people, need to insist from our leaders that the days of American Imperialism are over for good.

[GeorgeGist]

14. Who is We?

The former United States of America?

[Octafish]

16. Or until the oil 'n' gas run out.

Petroleum Deposits in Afghanistan

[Mari333]

17. amen, they have to set up their PUPPET govts and keep our soldiers there

along with THOUSANDS of tax paid for mercenaries to ensure that the precious MONEY for OIL keeps coming in.

there is an embassy now in Iraq and there will be one in Afghanistan if we stay there too.

follow the money and Obama is following the money also.

[KharmaTrain]

20. As Long As Oil Drives The World Economy...

When you strip away all the rhetoric and altruism it boils down to the basic "strategic" interest of protecting the "free flow" of oil (translation: free flow to American oil companies and their cronies). As long as our oil is under their sand we will have the military near by. For decades we've intruded in the region...trolling off their shores and meddling in their internal affairs, it was this meddling that got us into the first Gulf Oil war to protect the Saudis that became bin Laden's major bitch in launching the 9/11 attacks. The booosh regime doubled down on our "interests" by not only putting our military into the region, but digging it in so deep it's made it difficult for President Obama to get a handle on dealing with the situation.

As long as this country relies on oil as a major source of energy, our military will remain in the region in some capacity. The only way this changes is if we're driven out and putting more "boots on the ground" creates more targets and make us look like occupiers not "liberators". I'll be curious how our allies react to this escalation...if they'll also double down or bug out. That tells you a lot more about what's at play here. The fear of a destabilized Afghanistan and Pakistan that could really complicate both diplomacy and the "free flow of oil". Sadly corporate interests with this administration trump those of all else.

[shadowknows69]

21. I'll see your decade and raise you a "we're never leaving"

[Vidar]

22. No doubt.