American troops may remain in Afghanistan until at least 2024

[Phillip V]

'The United States and Afghanistan have finalized the wording of a bilateral security agreement that would allow for a lasting American troop presence through 2024 and set the stage for billions of dollars of international assistance to keep flowing to the government in Kabul.
...
After a war that stands as the longest in American history, the security agreement defines a training and counterterrorism mission in Afghanistan lasting at least 10 more years and involving 8,000 to 12,000 troops.'

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/21/world/asia/afghan-pact-kerry-apology-.html

[Valmy]

Well isn't that charming?

[dps]

Good.

[CountDeMoney]

None of you actually thought we'd leave, did you?

[dps]

None of you actually thought we'd leave, did you?

Heck, I didn't think we'd be stupid enough to leave Iraq, but I guess I undersestimated the stupidity of our political leaders.

[Sheilbh]

Heck, I didn't think we'd be stupid enough to leave Iraq, but I guess I undersestimated the stupidity of our political leaders.

I don't think Bush had any choice. I mean what would you give to convince Maliki to let you stay?

[Camerus]

What's the prognosis on Afghanistan these days anyway?

[Phillip V]

None of you actually thought we'd leave, did you?

Heck, I didn't think we'd be stupid enough to leave Iraq, but I guess I undersestimated the stupidity of our political leaders.

Afghanistan is giving concessions (legal immunity for American soldiers) that Iraq did not give in 2011.

[dps]

The problem in Iraq (well, not the only problem) was that we turned power back over to them too quickly.

[Sheilbh]

The problem in Iraq (well, not the only problem) was that we turned power back over to them too quickly.

In fairness it's not like Paul Bremer was proving a roaring success.

[CountDeMoney]

The problem in Iraq (well, not the only problem) was that we turned power back over to them too quickly.

In fairness it's not like Paul Bremer was proving a roaring success.

Bremer.

I had the perfect Sunni Republican Guard general surrogate all picked out and everything, but noooo...we had to go with democracy.  Dubya, you fucking dumbass.

"Tell Tehran what it's won, Johnny!" 
"A new proxy!"

[Valmy]

None of you actually thought we'd leave, did you?

Heck, I didn't think we'd be stupid enough to leave Iraq, but I guess I undersestimated the stupidity of our political leaders.

Well unless we were planning on annexing it I don't see how we could have credibly held out much longer.

[Razgovory]

What exactly do we expect to happen in ten years?

[dps]

None of you actually thought we'd leave, did you?

Heck, I didn't think we'd be stupid enough to leave Iraq, but I guess I undersestimated the stupidity of our political leaders.

Well unless we were planning on annexing it I don't see how we could have credibly held out much longer.

Dude, we still have troops in Germany, and it's been 68 years now.

[grumbler]

What's the prognosis on Afghanistan these days anyway?

Karzai remains slightly less of an enemy of the US than the surviving Taliban leadership.  Prognosis:  scattered atrocities and mostly corrupt to the core.