What is the US Mission in Afghanistan?

We are getting kicked out of some shit hole called Kyrgyzstan. I shit you not.

( No reporter has of yet asked President Obama to name the president of Kyrgyzstan.) Anyway, we are history in Idontkrigafukistan.

Being a big picture kind-a-guy, I was wondering about Afghanistan.

• What is the mission?
• How long will it take?
• What will it cost?
• How will we know when it is accomplished?
• How does Afghanistan compare with other US priorities in other regions?
• Is there an alternative to direct US involvement in Afghanistan?
  

It seems to be very difficult for Americans to get into and out of Afghanistan. It has neighbors that do not like us very much such as Iran, Pakistan and Russia to name a few.

The neighbors of Afghanistan do not seem to be overly concerned about what goes on in Afghanistan and they mostly have learned through time and experience that it is not a very pleasant place to be.

Afghanistan with a population of twenty million, does not have much to sell except for heroin and most of the heroin goes to Europe.

Let's put this into perspective. Perspective is a useful thing.

There are one hundred and ten million people in Mexico. It is very easy to get into and out of Mexico. Mexico also traffics drugs. The drugs go to the US. Mexicans supply enough drugs to satisfy the demands of US drug addicts. US addicts, of which there are more than twenty million, cause more damage to the US economy and society than the Taliban could dream of in their most drug addled of dreams.

The US has more Mexicans within the US than there is population in Afghanistan.

Still, twenty million is a big number. I hear that within a year there will be twenty million Americans, who will owe more on their homes than their homes are worth. That strikes me as a problem.

I doubt there are 15,000 of that group that can find Kyrgyzstan on a map. There are probably less than a thousand that care if we get kicked out of Kyrgyzstan.

An article in this morning's NY Times informs us that we have huge problems supplying US forces in Afghanistan. We have a new opportunity.

To do what may I ask?

_____________________

US: Russia Supply Decision 'Another Opportunity'


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 8, 2009
Filed at 4:23 a.m. ET

KABUL (AP) -- Russia's granting of transit rights to non-lethal U.S. military supplies bound for Afghanistan will make it harder for militants to attack the American supply line, a U.S. general said Sunday.

Brig. Gen. James C. McConville, deputy commanding general in charge of support for U.S. troops in eastern Afghanistan, said Russia's announcement on Saturday ''gives us another opportunity'' to bring supplies into the country.

''As agreements are made, of course that presents more challenges to those who are trying to stop these supplies that are coming into the country,'' he told a news conference.

The supply line into Afghanistan has come under increasing threat in the last several months. Some 75 percent of U.S. supplies comes through Pakistan, but militants have stepped up attacks on trucks bringing in food and fuel. The latest attack was on a bridge in Pakistan's mountainous Khyber Pass, temporarily halting traffic.

McConville insisted that the U.S. has not seen on effect on supplies because of the attacks. He told the mostly Afghan press corps at the news conference that many innocent Afghan and Pakistani truck drivers have been killed in the attacks ''as they're trying to make an honest living.''

The Russian decision follows Kyrgyzstan's announcement last week that it will close the Manas air base used by the U.S. military for moving troops and supplies into Afghanistan.

U.S. officials suspect Russia was behind the decision, having long been irritated by the U.S presence in central Asia.

Any new transit routes through Russia are unlikely to make up for the loss of Manas, home to tanker planes that refuel warplanes flying over Afghanistan as well as airlifts and medical evacuation operations.

The Kremlin last year signed a framework deal with NATO for transit of non-lethal cargo for coalition forces in Afghanistan and has allowed some alliance members, including Germany, France and Spain, to move supplies across its territory.

Ground routes through Russia would likely cross into Kazakhstan and then Uzbekistan before entering northern Afghanistan.