US Out Now? Not Likely...

US Military plans in the Middle East go way beyond a new 11,800-foot airstrip in Afghanistan:

Plans call for expanded ramps for fighter jets and helicopters, multiple ammunition storage bunkers and a six-story control tower, for a total bill exceeding $96 million.

An even more expensive airfield renovation is underway in Iraq at the Balad air base, a hub for U.S. military logistics, where for $124 million the Air Force is building additional ramp space for cargo planes and helicopters.

And farther south, in Qatar, a state-of-the-art, 104,000-square-foot air operations center for monitoring U.S. aircraft in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa is taking shape in the form of a giant concrete bunker. The $500 million price tag includes a set of support facilities that would be the envy of any air force.

All in all, the U.S. military has more than $1.2 billion in projects either underway or planned in the Central Command region -- an expansion plan that U.S. commanders say is necessary both to sustain operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and to provide for a long-term presence in the area...

The WaPo article quotes an Air Force captain asking Army Gen. John P. Abizaid, the Central Command's top officer, how long the USA was planning to be in the region:

"I don't know myself," Abizaid replied.

Hello? The top officer in the region doesn't know his long-term goals? If Abizaid is lying, he should resign. If he is not lying, he should resign.