AP: Afghanistan declared a major US non-NATO ally

The Associated Press reports that “Afghanistan declared a major US non-NATO ally“. Yeah, I don’t know what that means, but apparently, Hillary Clinton does;

“We see this as a powerful commitment to Afghanistan’s future,” she said at a news conference in the grand courtyard of Kabul’s Presidential Palace. “We are not even imagining abandoning Afghanistan.”

[…]

Clinton repeated the tenets of America’s “fight, talk, build” strategy for Afghanistan. The goal aims first to defeat dangerous extremists, win over Taliban militants and others willing to give up violence and help in the long reconstruction of Afghanistan ahead.

Fighting still rages as Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces battle insurgents in the mostly eastern part of the country. Although casualties have fallen among foreign forces as the United States and other nations begin a gradual withdrawal, 215 coalition soldiers were killed in the first six months of the year – compared to 271 in the same period last year.

Yeah, 80 of those US deaths were the result of Afghan security forces personnel who turned their weapons on Americans, mostly because US forces are hogtied to a policy of “trust” in their allies which leaves them unarmed and unable to defend themselves. I guess this declaration makes that practice our national policy in the region.

It seems to me that if US forces are unarmed inside their bases, the Afghans would be as well, especially when an Afghan is able to shoot five Americans and then escape on foot. But that’s just me. I’m addicted to common sense, I guess.

But this declaration is similar to the policy of the US towards South Vietnam in the 70s when we pledged to defend the South from an invasion from the North after we withdrew troops from that country. That worked well, for the South didn’t it? I remember outraged, dissenting voices from Congress after the rescue of the crew of the Mayaguez.

But the AP and other news services somehow thing this is a big deal, but I’m sure the Taliban and the general population of Afghanistan see it for the bluster that it is.

Category: Terror War