Yeah, since bin Laden was in Pakistan, it makes me wonder why we haven't left Afghanistan sooner.

We probably weren't done with the oil pipeline yet .

Nice new avatar, Dave.

It is a ploy....but who cares....more guys coming home is good.

Maybe something about Pakistan having the nuclear bomb may give some folks in power here 2nd thoughts.

Hmmm, I bet the same could be said for Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

But, like Pakistan those countries have strategic ties to the U.S.A.

Qatar....Red Sea...Straits of Hormuz (USS Cole Bombing)

Saudi Arabia...Oil (Majority of 9/11 terrorists from here)

Bahrain....5th Fleet HQ (Terrorist Activity during the 90's)

Egypt....Suez Canal, would make it very difficult for a 6th fleet ship to out-chop from the Med and go all the way around Africa to be effective on the East Coast of Africa, or the Persian Gulf. (I can't think of any terrorism activity off hand, other than the current head of Al Queda is Egyptian, but it would suck if they shut down the ditch)

Kuwait...Oil (Marine Unit attacked during training mission before 2nd Gulf War started)

Secure the oilfields seems to be our new mission.