Did US Expect Taliban Attacks?

Australian troops to leave Afghanistan a year earlier than planned, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said ... Australia expects to pull most of its troops out of Afghanistan nearly a year earlier than planned, the prime minister announced Tuesday, saying Australian soldiers have nearly completed their mission to transfer security responsibilities to Afghan forces in the decade-long war. Prime Minister Julia Gillard cited security improvements and the death of Osama bin Laden and many of al Qaeda's senior leaders among the reasons behind the accelerated withdrawal, which will likely see most troops home by the end of 2013. But one opposition lawmaker suggested the strategy was an attempt by Gillard to win over war-weary voters ahead of federal elections. – CBS

Dominant Social Theme: What the Taliban did is terrible. We didn't expect it.

Free-Market Analysis: The news today is all about Australia leaving Afghanistan earlier than planned, or so Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard says. But there are several crosscurrents taking place in this still-continuing war.

While "allies" are deserting NATO – others have already pulled out – the US remains invested in the current timetable, which calls for troops to leave in 2014.

Not only that, but there are suspicions that the "withdrawal" from Afghanistan is not any different than the US withdrawal from Iraq that has left a significant presence in that country as well as large US/NATO military bases.

In order to achieve this continued presence, there are those who believe the violence in Afghanistan is actively being encouraged by the US and NATO.

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