Taliban attack on covert US base in Afghanistan complicates Biden withdrawal decision

[enhanced_deficit]

The longest war may not end by May 1st :

Taliban attack on covert US base in Afghanistan complicates Biden withdrawal decision

By Barbara Starr, Zachary Cohen, Kylie Atwood and Kevin Liptak, CNN

April 8, 2021

Top Senate Dem: Time to end the war in Afghanistan 01:03

Washington (CNN)In one of the most significant attacks against US forces in Afghanistan recently, CNN has learned that the Taliban twice targeted one of the most heavily guarded bases in the country late last month and that US military personnel working for the CIA were at the installation when it came under fire.

Rockets landed near Forward Operating Base Chapman, a classified US military installation in eastern Afghanistan, and wounded seven civilians outside the base, according to a US official familiar with the details. During a second attack, a water tower was hit and a few rounds landed on the base, though no US personnel were killed or injured.
The attacks, which have not been widely reported, were followed by another in Kandahar this week, where Taliban rockets landed near a NATO air base used by US and coalition troops providing support to Afghan forces.
The flurry of violence is fueling concerns inside the Biden administration that the Taliban could step up efforts to target American forces ahead of a May 1 deadline for the US to withdraw under an agreement struck under then-President Donald Trump, sources say.
Biden himself has admitted publicly that it's unlikely the US will meet the deadline, and sources tell CNN the recent attacks underscore a growing belief among American officials that they must prepare to increasingly defend any US troops left behind, including several hundred special operations troops who at times work covertly for the CIA.

Keeping an intelligence presence

Top US officials have convened at an unusually high rate over the past month to discuss what to do in Afghanistan but have been unable to reach a consensus, multiple sources tell CNN.
During several closed-door meetings, senior leaders from "the big three" -- the CIA, the Department of Defense and the State Department -- have pushed somewhat divergent views on how the administration should move forward, according to a source familiar with the internal discussions.

The CIA, which has had a significant say in US decision-making in Afghanistan, has "staked out some clear positions" during recent deliberations, arguing in favor of continuing US involvement, the source told CNN.

Regardless of troop levels, continuing combat operations in Afghanistan "keeps alive the kind of theater CIA has used to justify continuing the norm as far as essentially doing whatever it wants in terms of operations there and is very much in their best interest organizationally," the source added.

The US wants to keep an intelligence presence in Afghanistan, two sources familiar with the matter said. When then-CIA Director Gina Haspel visited Afghanistan in 2019, discussions were already beginning over how to maintain and potentially expand the US intelligence footprint in the country. That desire has not changed, the sources said.

Deputy CIA Director David Cohen, who briefly served as the agency's acting director, has been very vocal during recent interagency discussions on Afghanistan, according to the source familiar with internal discussions. This source told CNN that Cohen has weighed in more during these meetings than is traditionally expected from an acting official, advocating continued US involvement and emphasizing the importance of CIA operations in the country.

cnn.com/2021/04/08/politics/taliban-attack-afghanistan-covert-base-biden-withdrawal-decision/index.html


But OTOH, agency leaders opposing ending US military involvement may have a point. While everyone wants to end global wars quickly, premature ends to US military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq would stop the surrounding of Iran from both sides (Afghanistan and Iraq). That could impact security of our closest ally and only democracuy in mideast, bringing all US troops home from these wars worth this risk?

Meet David Cohen: The Jewish ‘sanctions guru’ appointed deputy chief of the CIA

After he was appointed under-secretary at the Department of the Treasury, Cohen was involved primarily in the issues of terror-financing and the sanctions against Iran. His firm positions on these issues earned him the nickname, "the sanctions guru." Cohen was exposed to the US intelligence community and to those of US allies including Israel during this role. During his contact with Israeli intelligence officials he helped the Israel Security Agency in its efforts to stop the flow of money to Hamas, but especially in its efforts to follow the financing of Hezbollah and Iranian efforts to evade the economic sanctions against it.

jpost.com/diaspora/meet-david-cohen-the-jewish-sanctions-guru-appointed-deputy-chief-of-the-cia-387871


Historically, US military interventioan in Afghanistan has been a key part of global war against anti-semitism also:

Surprising Side Effects of Fight Against Anti-Semitism in USSR

Some theories in the past had linked rise of extremist racial ideologies (some races are more supremacist/chosen than others) among Israelis and Israeli settlers to abuse, mistreatment and antisemitism against Jewish minorities in places like New York, Soviet Union/Russia, France, UK, Germany, Arab lands etc. In this frame, "racist" ideologies and extremism/violent extremism are sometimes seen as a reactionary coping machanism against abuse and trauma borne out of past or current insecurities that can be generational in some cases.
Election few years ago of a Russian migrant bouncer and "racist" Foreign Minister Lieberman was also linked to past decades sharp rise in Jewish migration out of USSR to Israel following defeat/breakeup of Soviet Union at the hands of assorted variety of violent Islamist Jihadis, Foreign Fighters, terrorists in Afghanistan (sometimes known as "ISIS 1.0", armed by Israel and funded by Reagan/Carter and various Jesus Return Prophecies driven Evangelical Christian (allegedly anti-semitic) outfits).

Related

Was Reagan the worst President in US history?

Iraq/Afghanistan wars disabled 624,000 US troops , Divorces up 42%, Foreclosures up 217%

 

[Anti Globalist]

As if Biden intends on actually withdrawing.

 

[enhanced_deficit]

As if Biden intends on actually withdrawing.

Well he was mentor/protege of lobbies funded Obama (who was called 'Founding father of ISIS' by Trump), so you may have a point.