Ambassador Crocker is in serious need of a walk in the sun. Sunscreen of course. Some R&R somewhere, perhaps?
Here again the transparency of the Obama Administration allowed the American people their first look at what was actually occurring in Afghanistan under Karzai.
Since that reality, President Karzai has paid dearly for the mistake of corruption with the death of his brother.
Before President Obama took office, the "Poppy Crop" was a necessity for Rumsfeld who believed the Afghan people needed their economy, their drug economy, intact to promote the benevolence of their new government. One "POPPY BLIGHT" virus showed a poppy crop wasn't what was needed at all.
The reality of the depth of deception regarding Afghanistan to the American people was as bad as the corruption itself.
The strategic agreement is necessary. We have to realize this region is very unstable, including Pakistan. I sincerely don't believe we can honestly be detached from the region and not pay a price over time. Afghanistan has also proven to be a country with natural resources. If they are managed for the benefit of the people, rather than Wall Street and warlords, Afghanistan will have future for its children.
I believe that is the greatest responsibility of the Karzai government and those that may follow; to develop their natural resources in a responsible way that benefits the people of Afghanistan. I could be President Karzai's greatest legacy if he is determined enough to make it happen. We know poverty is paramount to the oppression of the Afghan people and with a wealth of natural resources that poverty could end and end the oppression of the Taliban forever.
I do not believe NATO is needed in Afghanistan with an obvious presence within the country. There are too many unpleasant experiences with the people. Our troops need to come home and the sooner the better.
...Crocker said the negotiations (click here) leading to the agreement had been very difficult. The pact cements a long-term strategic partnership between “two equal and sovereign states,” he said.
The contents of the agreement were not made public. U.S. military bases were not believed to be part of the it.
“Our goal is an enduring partnership with Afghanistan that strengthens Afghan sovereignty, stability and prosperity and that contributes to our shared goal of defeating al Qaida and its extremist affiliates,” Sundwall said.
Gul Ahmad Azami, a senator from western Farah province, said the agreement was in Afghanistan’s favor if the United States keeps all its commitments after signing it. He said the U.S. and its allies had promised the country a strong government based on the rule of law, “but they failed and instead they supported a corrupt government.” If the U.S. government repeats that mistake, the agreement will go nowhere, he said.
