Clinton designates Afghanistan as major U.S. ally

I bet these smiles will not last for very long, the Taliban do not want us there, the Iranians do not want the US/NATO there, let me see, the Pakistani ISI is also in cahoots with the Taliban, and sure plenty of Afghans are feeling that the welcome mat to the US troops etc..has already been worn out. So, I predict all hell will brake loose, kind of when the US was escaping from the Saigon American embassy, but worse, because at least in Vietnam, the Chinese were behind the VietCong, but Afghanistan?? It is a way more complicated mess, too many players, heck they are really close to Russia, and I just hope they do not want to fill any voids.

Incredibly, as broke as the U.S. is, the U.S. is going to give Afghanistan billions more dollars over the next decade.

@Elbuda Mexicano: A little history, China and Vietnam went to war shortly after the communist take over of the south. U.S. combat forces had been gone from Vietnam for some time before Saigon fell.

As far a s Afghanistan goes, this country has always been ruled by war lords. Karzi et al were part of the northern alliance that fought the Soviets there. The Taliban took control because of the power vacuum left by the Soviet withdrawal. Let's hope history does not repeat here.

I wouldn't trust Karzai one bit. His Taliban mates will be back in charge the moment the US leaves.

@techall Karzai lived in Pakistan as refugee during cold war.Nothern alliance fight against russia?when that happened! Russia getting colser to Pakistan.All signs are telling one thing....

@Banger: You are right, I stand corrected in that t was not the Norther Alliance (who actually fought against the Taliban regime) but the mujahideen. Anyway, please note that I said Karzai et al.

quote:

After obtaining his Master's degree in India he moved to neighboring Pakistan to work as a fundraiser for the anti-communist mujahideen during the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan.[8] The Mujahideens were backed by the United States, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Karzai was a secret contact for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) at the time. While Karzai remained in Pakistan during the Soviet intervention, his siblings emigrated to the United States.

"its aid-dependent economy"

Heck, in a few more years, the U.S. economy will be aid-dependent.

.. a piece of the 1 to 3 trillion USD market value of natural resources in Afghanistan ? and potential access to rest of Caucasus? sure - why not 'special friend' status ?

U.S. defense equipment? War as usual, begat's more war!...We just want to keep our base there! Stockpiled!!! ready for more war! SHHH! Be very quiet , we are hunting al Qaeda. and we need our special friends....

Major ally? Symbolic poppycock!

This story has a typo in it. US designates Afghanistan as its Major Non-ally. Japan cannot contribute to the extortion fee their leaders are charging. Yanks come home!

What a farce. Are they facebook BFFs, too?

"makes it easier for a country to purchase and finance its acquisition of U.S. defense equipment¨ Maybe the term Preferred Customer of the Military -Industrial -Complex that Eisenhower warned against would be more appropriate.

"Major non-NATO allies also benefit from U.S. government loan guarantee programs which can back up loans issued by private banks to finance arms exports."

Oh, and here's a store credit plan to fund the purchases by the insolvent from the insolvent.