THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

We were talking about it but it appears we really don't want to do it. Now that we managed to talk some of our NATO allies into continuing their support of our 13 15 year old failure, we just might stay on to see haow much longer we can fail to succeed.

The United States told allies on Wednesday it was reexamining plans to cut its troop numbers in Afghanistan next year, Britain said, as other NATO forces committed to stay on to help fight a resurgent Taliban.

President Barack Obama has planned to slash the number of U.S. troops from about 9,800 to 5,500 before he leaves office in 2017, despite calls from former commanders and envoys to halt the drawdown.

"Everyone has an interest that our effort there is sustained," Britain's Defense Secretary Michael Fallon told reporters.

"That's why as (U.S. Defense Secretary) Ash Carter told us, the troop numbers are being looked at again ... This is the wrong time to walk away from Afghanistan."

Carter declined to confirm that however, telling a news conference it was not formally a topic of discussion at a NATO ministers' meeting on Wednesday. But he said Obama remained willing to review security in Afghanistan and its impact on force levels.

"The president has indicated consistently ... he is willing to look at the U.S. force presence on the basis of circumstances in Afghanistan and he is expected to do that at the end of the year. He has expressed a willingness to do that but that was not a topic of discussion at today's meeting, per se," Carter said.

European allies are worried about a collapse of security in Afghanistan because of the increased numbers of refugees they fear it would bring as the continent is struggling to deal with uncontrolled migrant flows.

The United States told allies on Wednesday it was reexamining plans to cut its troop numbers in Afghanistan next year, Britain said, as other NATO forces committed to stay on to help fight a resurgent Taliban.

President Barack Obama has planned to slash the number of U.S. troops from about 9,800 to 5,500 before he leaves office in 2017, despite calls from former commanders and envoys to halt the drawdown.

"Everyone has an interest that our effort there is sustained," Britain's Defense Secretary Michael Fallon told reporters.

"That's why as (U.S. Defense Secretary) Ash Carter told us, the troop numbers are being looked at again ... This is the wrong time to walk away from Afghanistan."

Carter declined to confirm that however, telling a news conference it was not formally a topic of discussion at a NATO ministers' meeting on Wednesday. But he said Obama remained willing to review security in Afghanistan and its impact on force levels.

"The president has indicated consistently ... he is willing to look at the U.S. force presence on the basis of circumstances in Afghanistan and he is expected to do that at the end of the year. He has expressed a willingness to do that but that was not a topic of discussion at today's meeting, per se," Carter said.

European allies are worried about a collapse of security in Afghanistan because of the increased numbers of refugees they fear it would bring as the continent is struggling to deal with uncontrolled migrant flows.

I know that senior military officers want you to believe they have a yard of cock and a bushel of balls and they clank when they walk but all that clanking must be keeping them from hearing the word FAILURE that so aptly describes just about all they have done in Shitholeistan. And probably all that they will do. But the Big Fool says to push on.