Afghanistan 2014 Will we pull out?

White House Press Briefing

25 February 2014

Following are excerpts of the White House press briefing related to U.S. foreign policy and international engagement. The full transcript of the press briefing is available on the White House website.

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
Washington, D.C.
February 25, 2014

PRESS BRIEFING
BY PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 
1:11 P.M. EST

Q And I just want to get back to the President’s call to President Karzai. It is a fact that if this bilateral security agreement is not signed that there will be no troops?

MR. CARNEY: Yes, correct.

Q By December 31st, they’ll all be gone?

MR. CARNEY: Absolutely.

Q No wavering on that?

MR. CARNEY: Absent a BSA, there will not be any U.S. troops on the ground beyond the end of the year.

Read more: http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2014/02/20140226294117.html?CP.rss=true#ixzz2uTLD9iXL

However...it appears that there is no deadline for Karzai to sign the BSA.

Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders "Call Me Maybe" vs U.S. Troops "Call Me Maybe"

Another year and another Christmas our soldiers are still in Afghanistan. I'm glad to see that some of the soldiers can embrace the moment and have a little fun.

Please don't forget them. Let's make an effort to make sure our government knows we want them home! We want our soldiers out of Afghanistan!

Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders "Call Me Maybe" vs U.S. Troops "Call Me Maybe"

Another year and another Christmas our soldiers are still in Afghanistan. I'm glad to see that some of the soldiers can embrace the moment and have a little fun.

Please don't forget them. Let's make an effort to make sure our government knows we want them home! We want our soldiers out of Afghanistan!

The right of the US Military to Vote

We are still in Afghanistan. I've hesitated to write this post as it saddens my heart, all the soldiers lost forever physically and mentally.

The latest US casualty is:

11-03-2013 Forest W. Roberston, US, Sergeant 1st Class age 35 small arms hostile fire in Logar Province. He will be remembered by all who knew him, his family, friends and brothers and sisters in arms. He has become a statistic in a war that continues indefinitely whether we the United States are a part of it or not because our President elected to go to war.

Ironically, Veteran's Day falls one week after, Election Day, our national day to vote. Did you know that unless a service member files for an absentee ballot he or she isn't allowed to vote for the President of the United States who makes the decision to go or not to go to war. Isn't this crazy! Our military representative, who oftentimes is deployed overseas and cannot vote or whose vote isn't counted because it's absentee ballot.

I believe all active members of the military should be allowed to vote anywhere in the United States using their current Military I.D. and if they're deployed they should have a separate Military Ballot that is counted.

I mean…it's only fair.

Shutdown does affect Military Families -

There are no words to write about this.

Our military is still in Afghanistan and still dying. The Afghan Taliban is now supporting Pakistani militants and providing sanctuary for them...
Shutdown outrage: Military death benefits denied to families of fallen troops

By Cheryl K. Chumley

-

The Washington Times

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

At least five families of U.S. military members killed during in Afghanistan over the weekend were given a double-whammy by federal officials: Not only have your loved ones died, but due to the government shutdown, you won’t receive a death benefit.
The benefit is $100,000 and is wired to family members of the killed military member within 36 hours of the death. The so-called “death gratuity” is aimed at paying for funeral costs and to help with those living expenses normally covered by the soldier’s paycheck.


Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/8/shutdown-leaves-families-killed-soldiers-no-funera/#ixzz2hB4Y1a9s
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter