"Now is not the time to blink", so says General James Bucknall, the commander of British troops in the country. In his first interview since becoming second in command of the International Security and Assistance Force (isaf) he says the west must not abandon Afghanistan after 2014 or it risks a resurgance of Taliban.
Since the death of Osma bin Laden a week ago there have been some calls for the US to pull funds and pull out of the country sooner. To put it into context the US has been bankrolling the effort with up to $100bn (拢61bn) a year.
The Guardian quotes a military source that doesn't want to be named as saying.
"Afghanistan has been the centre of the world for the past 10 years. It isn't anymore and the purse strings from donors will soon tighten. The international military drawdown will begin. There will then be a limited period where there is some money available for non-military efforts.
"After this, many Afghans fear they will then be abandoned again. The international community will say 'job done' and it will be case of presenting it as "Afghan-good enough."
But that doesn't wash with many US voters. They feel more strongly than ever that U.S. troops should be brought home from Afghanistan right away or a timetable should be set to bring them back within a year.
Many of the views on this forum, sum up that view "We could never establish true democracy in Afghanistan. For millennium they lived the way they are living. We could never change that. However I would like to see some foreign aid going there with the hope that if young generation get better education they might change their own country." Friskyfeline commented on the Huffington Post "it is impossible to pull out of Afghanista颅n at this point no matter how much people want this. pulling out would leave a vacuum in that country which will ultimately be filled by the extremist. and for those of you who are going to say who cares please review history. this is what the Russians did and as a result Al-Q was born. a volatile Afghanista颅n with a nuclear Pakistan is not a good mix. there is no way for us to leave this country. even if we pull out many of our troops we will continue to have a presence in Afghanista颅n." Senator John Kerry, who ran for President in 2004, is one of the vocal opponents of any withdrawal
Instead, the Massachusetts senator is calling for the smallest U.S. presence possible that contains terror threats while preparing Afghanistan for the 2014 target date for withdrawing American forces.
Now that bin Laden is dead, does that mean the threat is diminished and troops should be withdrawn? Or is it short sighted?
Your comments
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
12:04
114690458
@bbc_whys America can't pull out yet we gotta get Aq 2. #whys
Comment sent via Facebook
12:28
113631290
<p>
Anne from the Philippines - They should help rebuild the country first before pulling out. At least half should go home and send in economic and infrastructure aid.</p>
Comment sent via Facebook
12:25
113631290
<p>
Hind from Sudan - Of course they should pull out, since the reason they went there in the first place has been eliminated. They had no business being there in the beginning and they certainly have no place there now.</p>
Comment sent via Facebook
12:24
113631290
<p>
Jim in Virginia - We must be very cautious in how & when we pull out to ensure Al-Qaeda cannot regain a foothold. However, we should think about accelerating our exit while not "abandoning" the country.</p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
12:17
116488650
@大象传媒_WHYS. #whys Afghans hav to handle their tasks their way,they understnd them better. US &RUSSIA silly cold war created that mess
Comment sent via SMS
12:09
117791699
An abrupt redrawal of US troops will be detriment to gains already achieved. Uzondu Esionye Monrovia
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
12:09
117785332
@大象传媒_WHYS it wuld b wise to wait until impeding threat of #Alqaeda n #Taliban retaliation b neutralised in #Afghanistan #whys
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
11:51
114690458
@bbc_Whys we have to get Aq's number 2 first. Then we can pull out
Comment sent via host
11:43
113631290
Ben J with you again today - we''re on air shortly, asking whether now is the time to pull out of Afghanistan? Look forward to receiving your contributions.
On air: Afghan pull out?
| Wednesday, 5 May 2011 | 11:39 - 12:45 GMT
"Now is not the time to blink", so says General James Bucknall, the commander of British troops in the country. In his first interview since becoming
second in command of the International Security and Assistance Force (isaf) he says the west must not abandon Afghanistan after 2014 or it risks a resurgance of Taliban.
Since the death of Osma bin Laden a week ago there have been some calls for the US to pull funds and pull out of the country sooner. To put it into context the US has been bankrolling the effort with up to $100bn (拢61bn) a year.
The Guardian quotes a military source that doesn't want to be named as saying.
"Afghanistan has been the centre of the world for the past 10 years. It isn't anymore and the purse strings from donors will soon tighten. The international military drawdown will begin. There will then be a limited period where there is some money available for non-military efforts.
"After this, many Afghans fear they will then be abandoned again. The international community will say 'job done' and it will be case of presenting it as "Afghan-good enough."
But that doesn't wash with many US voters. They feel more strongly than ever that U.S. troops should be brought home from Afghanistan right away or a timetable should be set to bring them back within a year.
Many of the views on this forum, sum up that view
"We could never establish true democracy in Afghanistan. For millennium they lived the way they are living. We could never change that. However I would like to see some foreign aid going there with the hope that if young generation get better education they might change their own country."
Friskyfeline commented on the Huffington Post
"it is impossible to pull out of Afghanista颅n at this point no matter how much people want this. pulling out would leave a vacuum in that country which will ultimately be filled by the extremist. and for those of you who are going to say who cares please review history. this is what the Russians did and as a result Al-Q was born. a volatile Afghanista颅n with a nuclear Pakistan is not a good mix. there is no way for us to leave this country. even if we pull out many of our troops we will continue to have a presence in Afghanista颅n."
Senator John Kerry, who ran for President in 2004, is one of the vocal opponents of any withdrawal
Instead, the Massachusetts senator is calling for the smallest U.S. presence possible that contains terror threats while preparing Afghanistan for the 2014 target date for withdrawing American forces.
Now that bin Laden is dead, does that mean the threat is diminished and troops should be withdrawn? Or is it short sighted?
Your comments
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@bbc_whys America can't pull out yet we gotta get Aq 2. #whys
Comment sent via Facebook
<p> Anne from the Philippines - They should help rebuild the country first before pulling out. At least half should go home and send in economic and infrastructure aid.</p>
Comment sent via Facebook
<p> Hind from Sudan - Of course they should pull out, since the reason they went there in the first place has been eliminated. They had no business being there in the beginning and they certainly have no place there now.</p>
Comment sent via Facebook
<p> Jim in Virginia - We must be very cautious in how & when we pull out to ensure Al-Qaeda cannot regain a foothold. However, we should think about accelerating our exit while not "abandoning" the country.</p>
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@大象传媒_WHYS. #whys Afghans hav to handle their tasks their way,they understnd them better. US &RUSSIA silly cold war created that mess
Comment sent via SMS
An abrupt redrawal of US troops will be detriment to gains already achieved. Uzondu Esionye Monrovia
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@大象传媒_WHYS it wuld b wise to wait until impeding threat of #Alqaeda n #Taliban retaliation b neutralised in #Afghanistan #whys
Comment sent via unknown: 23057
@bbc_Whys we have to get Aq's number 2 first. Then we can pull out
Comment sent via host
Ben J with you again today - we''re on air shortly, asking whether now is the time to pull out of Afghanistan? Look forward to receiving your contributions.