Afghanistan wants U.S. to build five bases

[seemslikeadream]

The government of Afghanistan has asked the Pentagon to build five base camps for the Afghan National Army, a project that could cost as much as $1 billion, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
The agency notified Congress on Tuesday of the possible foreign construction project, which would be carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and would involve between 15 and 100 U.S. government employees and contractors.

“The government of Afghanistan needs these services to support the recruitment, training, bed-down, and operational effectiveness of a military capability to establish security and stability throughout Afghanistan, and to promote the stability and development of a friendly, democratic central government,” the agency said in a prepared statement. The project would include facilities and infrastructure for the Afghan National Army’s Central Corps in Kabul. Simultaneously, four regional commands would be built in Gardez, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-e Sharif.

“The facilities and infrastructure planned for Central Corps include new temporary vehicle storage facilities, medical clinics, hospital steam plant, security walls, training barracks/facilities, dining facilities, recruit training facilities, training, maintenance and supply buildings, and utilities systems (including heating, water, sewer, and electricity),” the agency said. “The facilities to be provided at each of the four regional brigade locations include barracks, training, maintenance, and storage facilities, medical clinic, communications center, and required utilities (electricity including generation, heat, water, sewer, sewage treatment).”

more
http://www.navytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-379102.php

[htuttle]

1. Hey, no problem

We'll just borrow the money from China.

[bif]

3. We'll just take 10% of the profits from the opium to help pay for them.

[DulceDecorum]

2. Slight correction:

That should read:
The US wants to build five bases in Afghanistan.
(Afghanistan wants the US to get the heck out
and to take that Jonathan Idema with them.)

[sistersofmercy]

4. Exactly what I was thinking upon reading the headline

In any case, anyone smell no bid contracts in the future for Afghanistan, say from a certain company who is only paying a teeny tiny sum of severence pay to a certain sneering individual who btw is not the co-president and no longer owns stock options in that company?

[Eye and Monkey]

5. Well, the warlords say...

"Bases? Go ahead, bring 'em on. We can always use them after you bail. If not before."

[bicentennial_baby]

12. Nah, Idema got 20 years in Afghan prison!

They'll be having fun with him for a loooong time!

[Minstrel Boy]

6. Afghanistan is a free and sovereign nation that takes orders from no one!

Though, admittedly, it may be a tad less free and sovereign than when the Afghan government of the day invited Soviet troops to cross its border and put down Zbignew Brzezinski's "fired up Muslims."

[saigon68]

7. Mayor of Kabul requests $$$$$$$ and bases from CHIMPANZEE

Ya right--- and I have a bridge to sell you

More looting of the US Treasury and BIG BUCKS for Bechtel, Brown and Root, Halliburton et al

[Gregorian]

8. Is that the Afghanistan that has electrodes attached to it?

Or the real Afghanistan?

And by they way, that's one hell of a paper, that article is in. On the very same page, we've got a high tech shootout, and an ad for children in need. Nothing says "I care" like a high powered rifle shootout. Just like the guy I met yesterday who talked love out of one side of his mouth, and nuking Iraq out the other. Is America confused and stupid, or what?

Something tells me Afghanistan would love support. Any kind of support. But they'd much prefer farming equipment to bases. Just a hunch.

[Tracer]

9. No problem. We'll get right on it ...

... just as soon as the 14 bases in Iraq are done.

[Journeyman]

10. Los Angeles wants the U.S. to build five hospitals. . .

it's closing one of the busiest emergency centers in the basin (lack of funds) and expects to see a real upswing in needless deaths once the major trauma center for south central LA -- MLK Hospital -- is boarded up and those in need sent 'down the road' to seek help elsewhere (though no one's told us just quite where yet).

Oh, and less I be accused of parochialism or regionalism or just giving a good god damn about my own neighborhood first, there are untold nations that need water treatment facilities (Iraq, for one), schools, farm equipment, bridges and roads and a host of other projects that might, just might, help mitigate the world's anger and relieve some of the needless suffering. And these are needed well before we start building military bases in Nowhereistan or even Whatdefucwedoinhereistan.

[saigon68]

17. "Those people" are disadvantaged minorities

"Those Dreary People" who the members at the country club (mostly white)dislike because unlike their industrious peers Colin Powell and Rice-- they are lazy and subhuman.

[Ezlivin]

11. Read "The Sorrows of Empire" by Chalmers Johnson

The US is building bases EVERYWHERE. There are over 1,000 scattered around this globe and most of the new ones are being built right next to pipelines or other oil handling/producing facilities.

Until we wrest control of this nation from the militarists, this will continue until we are all dead.

[VegasWolf]

13. All bases to be placed along the Haliburton pipeline. n/t

[daleo]

14. Let me guess - Karzai will let the U.S. "borrow" the bases

Or they will be dual use.

[anarchy1999]

15. I read it more like, "Now see Iraq, Afghanistan wants us......."

n/t

[SoCalDem]

16. Dear US, please send us some Basis..

We have very dry skin, and have heard that this soap would soften a camel saddle..

5 should do the trick..we have very little water to bathe in..


Sincerely,,

Afghan Al

[democracy eh]

18. 14 in Iraq, so 5 in the real focus of the WOT sounds reasonable

:puke:

please, please, please, vote that bastard out of the Whitehouse