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The United States currently has 3,500 troops in Afghanistan, 1,000 more than the declared total of 2,500.
This was reported by the New York Times.
The additional number “adds another layer of complexity to the swirling debate at the White House over whether to stick with the deadline” set in the US-Taliban peace deal, according to the outlet.
The report acknowledges that 1,000 was a small number compared to the roughly 100,000 deployed in Afghanistan at the height of the war.
But, this is showing of the attempts of MSM and the many in support of remaining in Afghanistan.
“But the scope of the US presence has become a contentious issue in Afghanistan — where the Taliban want the Americans gone, while the government’s beleaguered security forces rely on US air support,” the newspaper added.
On top of that, many members of Congress had repeatedly called for an increase in troops if the United States decided to stay past the withdrawal date.
An unnamed US official told the NYT that the additional force included Joint Special Operations Command units, some of them elite Army Rangers, who work under both the Pentagon and the CIA while deployed to Afghanistan.
This is also not surprising, it’s common practice to have more troops than admitted.
“From Syria to Yemen to Mali, the United States often details military troops to the CIA or other agencies, declares that information “classified” and refuses to publicly acknowledge their presence,” the report added.
“The Obama administration used similar sleights of hand under the bland, bureaucratic term ‘force management levels,’ which resulted in more troops in war zones with little public oversight.”
Separately, Afghanistan TV Channel TOLO News disclosed the contents of a letter by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
It concerned the slowness of progress in the peace process and the US’ intention to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan by May 1. This was one of the first major concrete steps of the Biden administration in terms of foreign policy.
Blinken’s letter stated: “We are considering the full withdrawal of our forces.” The established practice in international relations requires that, when such an important step is being considered, it is more appropriate to present the move as a common decision of the two countries.
As a reaction to this unilateral approach, Amrullah Saleh, the first vice president of Afghanistan, said:
“They (the US) make decisions on their troops, not on the people of Afghanistan. We will never accept bossy and imposed peace.” Ghani, in turn, said that the future transition of power would occur via elections based on Afghanistan’s constitution, not plans made by “others.” The US should have avoided such an exchange of harsh sentences.
In the letter addressed to the Afghan authorities, there was a reference to two sets of meetings with a view to relaunching the peace process. One of them was proposed at the ministerial level with the participation of Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India and the US. The State Department declined to disclose whether these countries were consulted beforehand.
The second set of meetings is scheduled at the senior officials’ level and that it will be held in Turkey in the coming weeks. The State Department also declined to disclose whether Turkey had agreed to host such a meeting.
The withdrawal is still uncertain, and it appears to be a long way before it can happen, if those wishing to remain get the upper hand.
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- On March 14, Taliban attacked a government forces checkpoint in Khanabad. 3 soldiers were killed
- On March 14, ISIS claimed responsibility of a policeman assassination in Jalalabad
- On March 14, at least two people were killed and more than 10 others were injured in two terrorist explosions in the third and sixth districts of Kabul
- On March 14, 23 Taliban members were killed and 7 others were wounded in Bolan and Boshran areas around Lashkargah city, according to the Afghanistan MOD
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That map of control is suspect by design (exaggerated talibunny control) and was issued to prolong the US occupation. However, that actually works out for Iran as the largely pashtu talibs are a sworn enemy of the Persian speakers. So no sweat on the part of Iran here. The Afghan gubment is a strong Iranian ally with a common anti-wahabbi agenda in the region.
US is the most shameless liar and a loser. Senile Biden is a total tool of the Zionist war lobby and will destroy whatever is left of the banana republic for his Zionist masters.
Biden is not senile at all. So far he has shown he take in strong people, which are much more trustworthy then the Trumps.
I love to be a tool for the zionist even Im no american. GDP pr capita is 57.000 dollar a year. Whats Yours.
People being not senile is better ruilers – ha ha – not always.
I see Biden knowing his skills and limitation and brave enough to let in people in triusted positions. That of cource can change…
Glasses and oxygen migt help You.
pitiful dink in nation with no life has GDP, but no culture except LSD…all u produce is pork, minks bad cheese senility not your excuse—brain damage when sexually abused at 7 by farmer step father
“From Syria to Yemen to Mali, the United States often details military troops to the CIA or other agencies, declares that information “classified” and refuses to publicly acknowledge their presence,” the report added.
This is not exactly what happens ‘often’, especially in context of understating (deceiving the American public) about actual troop levels. The debate is really about the U.S. Secretary of Defense using the bureaucratic trickery of classifying deployed solders as Title 10 (military) vs Title 50 (intelligence, CIA) assets. The soldiers, themselves, usually have no idea what the Pentagon’s paperwork says. They just deploy like everyone else and do their same jobs under their same commanders. Even if classified as Title 50 (spook), they typically don’t ‘work for’ the CIA or have a spook commander when deployed. It’s just DoD accounting/bureaucratic/political bullshit because they only report Title 10 (military) assets as ‘troop levels’.
The Sec. of Defense and Pentagon don’t go too overboard and start sending cooks bureaucratically classified as Title 50 (spook) assets (yet). But any (probably all) SF soldiers and many others are deployed under that classification.
There are some SOF types that work as real Title 50 spook assets and essentially are assigned to and work for the CIA when deployed. That may be for the entire deployment or on a mission-by-mission basis. That’s always happened. The issue is slimy politicians using that classification to fudge (undercount) troops deployed. That’s why we only have 400 troops in Syria right now – but probably more like 4000. Maybe a bazillion. I don’t know – it’s classified. They would Assange me if I knew.
USA outsource almost anything. So if You get more for You money, You do it.
And You are right. They do many jobs in the Henry Ford way. They split up all jobs, so any can learn them. By that the jobs is done, but none of the employes need to know, what they are doing or not.
The other day someone named it americans by that are “Robots”. Thats correct, but they also are rewarded by the high productivity by their salery.
So the questions is how many should know about this, if its a common ways for very much productivity all over.
And actially there is another one of growing importance. More and more things are replaced by machines as well in all levels. Its not only drones of all kinds but anything possible.
So You also has to add or subtract those expences whatever they are outsourced or not.
Mercenaires and proxies is same thing. How much is warfare and how much is help for local civilians or goverments support.
robot dane with village education stupid…it is far more expensive to outsource for private militias, u idiot: minimum wage paid blackwater was $100,000 annual contract Us soldiers stupid, incompetent medium salary in USA per year—$34,000 same as dinkmark when taxes included
There we go again. People dont have to admit things, they never has denied. They have replaced many of their troops with soldiers and like that from several countries and thats it.
entangled destroyed brain cells destroyed by years of LSD use cannot be regenerated by rehab counselor
Disguised as soldiers while their real role is to unload pallets of dollars, fresh from the Fed’s press, with which to distribute wages to terrorists invited from all over the world to litter the Syriana Nation and its Brave People, it would be better to call them as payers rather than soldiers, they have neither honor nor purpose nor the balls that fighters should have.
Its not Your money.
He’s unboxing his Bitcoin right now
retired US officers now alarmed that both intelligence and physical fitness standards dramatically reduced in order to attract unemployable young amerikans recent interview by ex colonel claims stands dramatically declined since 2000—biden apparently lowering stands even more
US government has to publish reports on its government agencies and use of public money – the armed forces are one these – except for a massive loophole, anything tagged as ‘special forces’ operation doesn’t have to be publicly declared.
Thats partly correct. Many can find those numbers, if they really want to.
dumb dane in rehab yet?
The last batch of DoD accountants that tried to ‘find those numbers’ back when it was only $4.3 trillion got a cruise missile through their Pentagon office window. Miraculously, nobody else was killed or injured except the bean counters. We’ve had trouble recruiting auditors since then.
US GAO cannot account for 25 trillion $ spent by US military between 1990-2015
Some say Russian special ops also fighting on the side of US in Afghanistan.
if an ameerikan lips are moving they are lying—it is frequently reported that 18,000 US private contractors are also in afghanistan
Are we suppose to be surprised by this? LOL
Are you sure it’s only a thousand?