<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1">
</head>
<body text="#000000" bgcolor="#ffffff">
WD-40 is a stranger to friction.<br>
<br>
<a
href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175294/tomgram%3A_engelhardt_and_turse%2C_the_wacky_world_of_american_war/#more">http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175294/tomgram%3A_engelhardt_and_turse%2C_the_wacky_world_of_american_war/#more</a><br>
<br>
*******<br>
<p><strong>2.</strong> <em>With President Obama’s announced July 2011
drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan in mind, the Pentagon has
already:</em></p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>a.</strong> Begun organizing an orderly early 2011
withdrawal of troops from combat outposts and forward operating bases
to larger facilities to facilitate the president’s plan. </p>
<p><strong>b.</strong> Launched a new U.S. base-building binge in
Afghanistan, including contracts for three $100 million facilities not
to be completed, no less completely occupied, until late 2011. </p>
<p><strong>c.</strong> Announced plans to shut down Kandahar Air
Base’s covered boardwalk, including a TGI Friday’s, a Kentucky Fried
Chicken, and a Mamma Mia’s Pizzeria, and cancelled the opening of a
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs as part of its preparations for an American
drawdown.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Correct answer: b. According to Walter Pincus of the <em>Washington
Post</em>, construction is slated to begin on at least three <a
target="_blank"
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/22/AR2010082201670_pf.html">$100
million air base projects</a> -- “a $100 million area at Shindand Air
Base for Special Operations helicopters and unmanned intelligence and
surveillance aircraft”; another $100 million to expand the airfield at
Camp Dwyer, a Marine base in Helmand Province, also to support Special
Operations forces; and a final $100 million for expanded air facilities
at Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan. None of these projects are
to be completed until well after July 2011. “[R]equests for $1.3
billion in additional fiscal 2011 funds for multiyear construction of
military facilities in Afghanistan are pending before Congress.” And
fear not, there are <a target="_blank"
href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/07/kandahar-boardwalk-kaf-of_n_706963.html">no
indications</a> that the fast-food joints at Kandahar are going
anywhere.<br>
</p>
<p>****<br>
</p>
<p><a
href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175294/tomgram%3A_engelhardt_and_turse%2C_the_wacky_world_of_american_war/#more">http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175294/tomgram%3A_engelhardt_and_turse%2C_the_wacky_world_of_american_war/#more</a><br>
</p>
</body>
</html>