Karzai's deal with Iran

Jed Babbin:

By now, we should be more used to — and less tolerant of — Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s machinations.

Over the last decade, he has pitched many a tantrum at U.S. officials trying to get his cooperation. His latest eruption is no tantrum.

He’s refused to follow the advice of his national council — the loya Jirga — to sign a long-term agreement allowing U.S. forces to stay in his country past 2014. And he’s signed a security treaty with Iran.

Karzai’s refusal of the U.S. deal drew an angry reaction from National Security Advisor Susan Rice, who said there would be no further negotiations.

The White House has made clear its threat to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 if Karzai doesn’t sign the agreement before the end of this year, and Karzai isn’t budging.

If this were business as usual, there would be more negotiations, more compromises and more accommodation and enrichment of Karzai’s kleptocracy. But Karzai is playing a new game that excludes the U.S. in favor of Iran.

President Obama wants the long-term agreement with Afghanistan so that about 12,000 of our troops can remain training Afghan forces.

They would also be there to protect U.S. officials and the Afghan government. (There are about 47,000 troops there now. There are also about 27,000 Coalition troops that will be withdrawn next year.)

It is impossible to see why Obama should want that agreement to be signed at all. If Obama’s plan is effectuated, only a small force — perhaps 10,000 troops — would be left in Afghanistan.

That force could, perhaps, secure some of the people in Kabul, but the Taliban — and now the Iranian terrorist proxy forces, such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps — would have the run of the rest of the country.

Obama’s evident purpose is to make sure the Taliban doesn't take over Afghanistan again before our 2016 election.
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There's no reason to stay except to protect Obama from the blame for “losing” Afghanistan. That's not a reason to spend more lives there.

Obama seems to have perfected the art of not making a deal.  Iran appears to be the only country he can negotiate with and that is by giving away the house.  Afghan corruption will probably lead to the quick fall of the government after the US leaves.  Karzai maybe working on his own exit strategy.