Retired Army Colonel: US Will Have a Presence in Afghanistan for Another 50 YearsBy Steven MacMillan The war in Afghanistan has morphed; its not about al-Qaeda anymore, and its not about the Taliban anymore. Its about China; Russia the soft underbelly which is mostly Muslim of Russia; about Pakistan; about Iran; about Syria; about Iraq; about whether a Kurdistan is stood up or not; and ultimately about oil, water and energy in general. And the US presence in Afghanistan, Ill predict right now, will not go away for another half-century And it will grow, it will not decrease. This revelation by Wilkerson is important as the majority of the Western public continues to believe that the war in Afghanistan is predominately to do with fighting terrorism. Realistically, the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan never really had anything to do with terrorism, but everything to do with geopolitics and the vast amount of economic riches the country possesses. Similar to many other imperial wars we have seen in recent years, evidence suggests that the war in Afghanistan was pre-planned at least months prior to 9/11. The BBC reported on the 18th of September 2001 that Niaz Naik, a former Pakistani Foreign Secretary, was told by US officials in July that the US was planning to attack Afghanistan in the coming months. A report by a bipartisan commission of inquiry in 2004 also revealed that the Bush administration had agreed on a plan to attack Afghanistan the day before 9/11. Then, perfectly on time, 9/11 (also dubbed by the neoconservatives the new Pearl Harbor event) happens, giving the West the ideal justification to invade and occupy the country in addition to launching the global war on terror. A look at the map reveals the geostrategic importance of Afghanistan, as it sits between Iran, China, Pakistan and the Central Asian Republics. As Wilkerson emphasizes, US military presence in Afghanistan is about an array of factors, most notably about China, Iran and Russia. Similar to the great game in previous centuries, Afghanistan and Central Asia will be a place of fierce competition between major powers in the coming years. Withdrawing troops from Afghanistan has been one of the biggest pledges Obama has made since being elected President in 2008. Afghanistan is the most unpopular war in history according to some US polls, and Obama has repeatedly said he would pull all US troops out of the country. In 2012, he reiterated his position once again, stating that all US troops would be out of there by 2014. Unsurprisingly, this was yet another broken promise by the puppet in chief. In October of last year, Obama announced that he would keep almost 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, and unless there is a dramatic shift in US foreign policy when the next President takes office, US troops will remain in the country for decades to come. Even if all US troops are withdrawn in the years to come, the legions of private armies comprised of mercenaries and contractors will continue to operate in the country. As The New York Times reported in a 2010 article titled: US Identifies Vast Mineral Resources in Afghanistan, the country is home to vast amounts of precious minerals. From copper to iron, gold to lithium, the mineral wealth of Afghanistan is estimated to worth approximately $1 trillion. In the modern world, materials such as lithium are extremely valuable, with the lightweight metal being used in the majority of laptops and smartphones. The NYT article is filled with its usual spin and disinformation, however, as it tries to argue that the mineral discovery is somehow a recent one. Contrary to this narrative, Afghanistans mineral wealth has been well-known since at least the 1970s, and was clearly known by strategists in Washington for decades. Add the dramatic surge in opium production since the 2001 invasion of the country to its geopolitical importance and mineral wealth, and its clear to see why the US will continue to have a presence in Afghanistan for another half-century. Image Credit: Anthony Freda Art Endless War Steven MacMillan is an independent writer, researcher, geopolitical analyst and editor of The Analyst Report, especially for the online magazine New Eastern Outlook. The US hasnt got a presence in Vietnam though, has it? They were so thoroughly routed they fled the country by rooftop from helicopters and left their Asian aides behind. North Vietnam didnt have an air force either, and though the US military may be too big now to force out it still cant beat the Afghanis. America will be gone in 50 years ,,,, maybe 5. America as a concept of a free and sovereign people was taken down to its knees when JFK was assassinated by the CIA at the behest the international banker power elite cabal. The mortal wounding began in 1913. Its been slow process of infiltration taking place over 200 years. The concept itself wont die if enough of us refuse to accept enslavement. The digital leashes are what we have to worry about now. Its global. All gubberments the world over have been usurped by the all seeing eye crowd. Not long after the US occupation of Afghanistan was underway, the UN website had a detailed report of Afghanistans planned reforms to implement UN Agenda 21. This past September, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at the UN Summit announcing Afghanistans adoption of the post 2015 development agenda which is the 2030 Agenda. This is GLOBAL GOVERNANCE by the international bankers, not old fashioned anachronistic imperialism so its not really about the US. The psyop of a limited hangout putting the neocon minions on front stage also serves as a distraction. http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/ga11688.doc.htm http://www.afghanistan-un.org/2015/09/statement-by-h-e-dr-abdullah-abdullah-chief-executive-of-the-islamic-republic-of-afghanistan-at-the-united-nations-summit-to-adopt-the-post-2015-development-agenda/ 