Afghan people upset about prospect of permanent presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan

The U.S. (thinks) it's here to stay...

"About 18,300 U.S.-led forces, mostly Americans, remain. Their main bases are at Bagram, north of Kabul, and in Kandahar in the south. Afghanistan also hosts a NATO-led force of 8,500 peacekeepers.

While Washington says it wants to prevent Afghanistan being used as a "breeding ground for terrorists," the country also has strategic significance given its border with Iran, which the United States has warned not to produce nuclear weapons, and its proximity to Central Asian energy sources. "

That last sentence is the most interesting one..... "...and its proximity to Central Asian energy sources. " THAT is ofcourse what all of this is and was about ever from the beginning when Shah Massoud was assassinated 2 days before 9/11, and 2 weeks after Iranian fighter jets and navy threatened to open fire on the British ship drilling for oil on behalf of the Azerbajian Republic in waters disputed by Iran and Azerbajian Republic.