Ekupheleni kukaDisemba, iqashiso lalingenanto nje enkulu: izikhongozeli ezimbalwa zentsimbi ezimdaka ngenqanawa zihleli kwisibhakabhaka segrabile enombala weqokobhe leqanda ngaphakathi kocingo olululwe ngocingo. Umkhosi waseMelika e-Afghanistan awufuni ukuthetha ngayo, kodwa ngenye imini kungekudala, iya kuba yindawo entsha yemfazwe ye-drone yaseMelika kwi-Greater Middle East.
Kunyaka ozayo, loo ndawo ingenanto iya kuba yindawo yobulumko enemigangatho emibini yekhonkrithi yemfazwe yaseMelika, ekhanyiswe ngokuqaqambileyo kwaye izaliswe ziikhompyuter ezinamandla ezigcinwe kubuthuthuzeleko obulawulwa yimozulu kwilizwe apho uninzi lwabemi lungakwazi ukufikelela kulo. umbane. Iza kuqhayisa malunga ne-7,000 yeenyawo zee-ofisi, inkcazo kunye namagumbi enkomfa, kunye neziko elikhulu lokusebenza "lokusebenza, ukuxhaphaza, kunye nokusabalalisa" - kwaye, ngokuqinisekileyo, liya kwakhiwa ngeedola zerhafu zaseMelika.
Kwaye ayiyonto ingaqhelekanga. Ngaphandle kwayo yonke intetho yokutsala kunye nokuhoxiswa, kukho iminyaka emininzi ibhoom yokwakha e-Afghanistan ebonisa uphawu oluncinci lokuncipha. Ekuqaleni kuka-2010, uMkhosi woNcedo lwezoKhuseleko okhokelwa yi-U.S. Iisiseko ze400 eAfghanistan. Namhlanje, uLieutenant Lauren Rago we-ISAF imicimbi yoluntu uxelela iTomDispatch, inani liphezulu kwi-450.
Indawo yokuthula, itekhnoloji ephezulu, ekhuseleke kakhulu kwindawo enkulu yomoya eKandahar yenye yeeprojekthi ezininzi zokwakha umkhosi wase-US ngoku ocwangcise okanye oqhubekayo e-Afghanistan. Ngelixa ezinye iziseko zase-US zivala ivenkile okanye ukubakho idlulisiwe kurhulumente wase-Afghan, kwaye kukho intetho yezenzo zokulwa ezicothayo okanye eziphela kunyaka ozayo, ngokunjalo a rhoxiswa Imikhosi yokulwa yaseMelika esuka e-Afghanistan ngo-2014, umkhosi wase-US usalungiselela ukutsala ixesha elide kwiziseko ze-mega ezifana ne-Kandahar kunye ne-Bagram airfields. Kukwanjalo nakwezinye iinkampu ezincinci, iziseko zokusebenza zangaphambili (ii-FOBs), kunye neendawo zokulwa (ii-COPs) ezisasazeke kwiindawo ezingasemva zelizwe. "I-Bagram idlula kwinguqu ebalulekileyo kulo nyaka uzayo ukuya kwiminyaka emibini," uLieutenant Colonel Daniel Gerdes we-US Army Corps of Engineers 'Ofisi yeBagram kutshanje uxelele iFreedom Builder, upapasho lweCorps of Engineers. "Sitshintshela kumbono wexesha elide, weminyaka emihlanu, we-10 wesiseko."
Nokuba umkhosi wase-US uzakuba se-Afghanistan kwiminyaka emihlanu okanye eli-10 usaza kubonwa, kodwa amanyathelo athathwayo ngoku ukwenza oko kwenzeke. Ushicilelo lomkhosi wase-US, izicwangciso kunye nezicwangciso, amaxwebhu ekontraka, kunye nezinye iinkcukacha ezisemthethweni ezihlolwe yikhathalogu ye-TomDispatch amakhulu eeprojekthi zokwakha ezixabisa iibhiliyoni zeedola ezimiselwe ukuqalisa, ukuqhubeka, okanye ukuqukunjelwa ngo-2012.
Ngelixa uninzi lwezi nzame zijolise kwizakhiwo zemikhosi yase-Afghan okanye amaziko oluntu, inani elikhulu libandakanya amaziko ase-US, ezinye zezona zibalulekileyo zinikezelwe kwiindlela ezinyukayo zemfazwe yaseMelika: imisebenzi yedrone kunye nemishini iiyunithi ezikhethekileyo zokusebenza. Izicwangciso ezikhoyo zoninzi lwezi projekthi zibonisa ukuqina. UGerdes uthi: “Izakhiwo ezingenayo zekhonkrithi nodaka, kunokuba zibe ngamaplanga namaxolo entente. Ukusukela kuDisemba ophelileyo, iofisi yakhe ibibandakanyeka kwiiprojekthi zokwakha ezingama-30 zase-Afghan ze-U.S.
Ukwakhiwa kwesiseko esikhulu
Kutshanje, iNew York Times umbiko ukuba uMongameli Obama kunokwenzeka ukuba avume isicwangciso sokutshintsha umzamo omkhulu wase-US e-Afghanistan kwimikhosi ekhethekileyo yokusebenza. Le mikhosi iphezulu iya kuthi emva koko iqhube imisebenzi yokubulala/ukubamba kwaye iqeqeshe amajoni asekuhlaleni ukuya ngaphaya konyaka ka-2014. Iinzame zolwakhiwo zakutsha nje elizweni ziyayingqina le nto.
Iprojekthi enkulu kwi-Bagram Air Base, umzekelo, ibandakanya ukwakhiwa kombutho okhethekileyo wokusebenza, isiseko esifihlakeleyo ngaphakathi kwesiseko esiya kunika imikhosi yaseMelika emnyama imfihlo kunye nokuzimela ngokupheleleyo kweminye imikhosi yase-US kunye nemanyano. Iqalwe ngo-2010, iprojekthi yezigidi ezingama-29 zeerandi kulindeleke ukuba igqitywe ngoMeyi kwaye ijoyine ngokusondeleyo. Iindawo ze90 kwilizwe jikelele apho amajoni asuka kwi-Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan athe amiswa.
Kwenye indawo eBagram, amashumi ezigidi zeerandi achithwa kwiiprojekthi ezingenazo i-sexy kodwa ezingabalulekanga kangako kumzamo wemfazwe, njengokuvula iindlela zothuli kunye nokuphucula iinkqubo zokuhambisa amanzi kwi-mega-base. NgoJanuwari, umkhosi wase-US unikezele nge-7 yezigidi zekhontrakthi kwinkampani yokwakha yaseTurkey ukwakha i-24,000-square-foot-command-and-control indawo. Izicwangciso zikwakwimisebenzi yeziko elitsha lokusebenza ukuxhasa imisebenzi yejet yokulwa enobuchule, isikhululo somlilo esitsha sokubhabha, kunye nokukhanya okungakumbi kunye nolunye uphuculo lokuxhasa imfazwe yomoya yaseMelika.
Kwinyanga ephelileyo, uMongameli wase-Afghanistan uHamid Karzai yalelwa ukuba intolongo yase-US eBagram idluliselwe kulawulo lwase-Afghan. Ekupheleni kukaJanuwari, i-US yayikhuphe i-36 yezigidi zekhontrakthi yokwakha, kwisithuba sonyaka, intolongo entsha kwisiseko. Nangona iinkcukacha zimbalwa, izicwangciso zeli ziko lokuvalelwa zibonisa ukuba kukho indawo esele iphuculwe ngokucokisekileyo, enokhuseleko oluphezulu, ineenqaba zoonogada, iinkqubo zokucupha ezikumgangatho ophezulu, amaziko olawulo, namandla okuhlalisa amabanjwa amalunga nama-2,000.
Kwi-Kandahar Air Field, eso sixhobo sitsha sobuntlola semfazwe yedrone siya kudityaniswa sisakhiwo esilinganayo esinikezelwe kwimisebenzi yolawulo kunye nemisebenzi yolondolozo ehambelana nemishini yerobhothi emoyeni. Iya kukwazi ukuhlalisa abasebenzi abaninzi njenge-180 ngexesha. Ngexabiso eliqikelelwayo elidityanisiweyo ukuya kuthi ga kwi-5 yezigidi zeedola, zombini izakhiwo ziya kuba yimfuneko kuMkhosi woMoya kwaye mhlawumbi imisebenzi ye-CIA ebandakanya zombini i-MQ-1 Predator drone kunye nenzala yayo ephucukileyo kunye nexhobe kakhulu, i-MQ-9 Reaper.
Umkhosi ugcina ulwazi malunga nezi zixhobo ze-drone phantsi kweesonga eziqinileyo. Banqabile ukuphendula imibuzo malunga nokuba, umzekelo, ukwakhiwa kwala maziko matsha emfazwe yerobhothi nangayiphi na indlela enxulumene ukulahlekelwa ye-Shamsi Air Base kwi-Pakistan engummelwane njengeziko lokusebenza kwe-drone, okanye ukuba babonisa iinzame zokwandisa i-tempo yemishini ye-drone kwiminyaka ezayo. I-International Joint Command's chief of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) imisebenzi, eyazi ukuba imibuzo enjalo yayiza kubuzwa, ixhaswe ngaphandle kodliwano-ndlebe olucwangcisiweyo kunye neTomDispatch.
“Ngelishwa inkosi yethu ye-ISR apha kwi-International Joint Command ayizukwazi ukuphendula imibuzo yakho,” uLieutenant Ryan Welsh we-ISAF Joint Command Media Outreach ecaciswe nge-imeyile kwiintsuku nje ezimbalwa phambi kodliwanondlebe olucwangcisiweyo. Uye wakwenza kwacaca ukuba nawuphi na umbuzo obandakanya ukusebenza kwe-drone ePakistan wawungekho umda. "Imiba oyiphakamisayo ingaphandle kwendawo esebenza phantsi kwayo i-IJC, ngoko ke asikwazi ukusiqhuba esi sicelo sodliwano-ndlebe."
Nokuba ulwakhiwo lwaseKandahar lwenzelwe ukukhulula amaziko kwenye indawo kwimisebenzi ye-CIA drone ngaphaya komda wasePakistan okanye inxulumene kuphela nemishini ngaphakathi e-Afghanistan, icebisa ngamandla ukunyuswa kwemisebenzi engenziwanga mntu. Nangona kunjalo, licandelo elinye lolwakhiwo oluqhubekayo kwibala lomoya. Kule nyanga, iprojekthi ye-26 yezigidi zeerandi zokwakha izakhiwo ezitsha ze-11 ezinikezelwe ekugcinweni kwesithuthi esinobuchule eKandahar icwangciselwe ukugqitywa. Ngezakhiwo ezibini ezikhulu zokugcinwa nokulungiswa, esinye sizinikele ngokungqongqo ekulungiseni amatayara, esinye ekupeyinteni izithuthi, kunye nendawo yokuhlambela imoto elingana nemizi-mveliso, kunye neendawo zolawulo nezokugcina, isiseko esikhulu sokwakhiwa kwesakhiwo asibonakalisi zimpawu zokuqhwalela ngaphandle.
Ukwakhiwa noKwakha ngokutsha
Kulo nyaka, kwi-Herat Air Base kwiphondo legama elifanayo kumda we-Turkmenistan kunye ne-Iran, i-US ilindeleke ukuba iqalise iprojekthi yezigidigidi zeedola ukuphucula ukusebenza kwemikhosi yayo ekhethekileyo yomoya. Izicwangciso zisemisebenzini yokwandisa indawo ye-apron - apho iinqwelomoya zinokupakishwa, zinikwe inkonzo, kwaye zilayishwe okanye zothulwe - kwiinqwelo-ntaka kunye neenqwelomoya, kunye nokwakha iindlela ezintsha zeeteksi kunye neendawo zokuhlala zeenqwelomoya.
Loo projekthi yenye nje malunga ne-130, exabisa malunga ne-1.5 yeebhiliyoni zeedola, ecwangciselwe ukuba iqhutywe kwiphondo laseHerat, eHelmand, naseKandahar kulo nyaka, ngokutsho koMkhosi we-Army Corps of Engineers amaxwebhu ahlolwe nguTomDispatch. Oku kuquka iinzame kwiCamp Tombstone kunye neCamp Dwyer, zombini kwiPhondo laseHelmand kunye ne-Kandahar's FOB Hadrian kunye neFOB Wilson. Umkhosi wase-US kwakhona kutshanje unikezele ngesivumelwano sendawo yefaskoti yomoya kwisiseko e-Kunduz, indawo entsha yokungena ekhuselekileyo kunye neendlela ezintsha zeFOB Delaram II, kunye nezixhobo ezintsha kunye neendlela eFOB Shank, ngelixa iMarines isandula ukwakha indlu yecawa entsha Camp Bastion.
Kwiminyaka esixhenxe eyadlulayo, iForward Operating Base Sweeney, ekumgama oziikhilomitha phezulu kudederhu lweentaba kwiPhondo laseZabul, yayixhonywe kakuhle, ukuba ikude, isiseko saseMerika. Emva kokuba imikhosi yase-US iyishiyile, nangona kunjalo, isiseko sawohloka. Kwinyanga ephelileyo, imikhosi yaseMelika ibuyile ngamandla kwaye yaqala ukwakha kwakhona inkampu, yakha yonke into ukusuka kwindawo entsha yomkhosi ukuya kwindawo entsha yokugcina. “Sakhe izakhiwo ezininzi, sagxumeka iintente ezininzi, sazalisa iingxowa ezininzi zesanti, saza sandisa ukhuseleko lomkhosi wethu,” utshilo uKapteni uJoe Mickley, umphathi wamajoni ahlala kwisiseko, uxelele intatheli yomkhosi.
Ukupheliswa kunye noKwakha
Izithintelo zeHesco, ngokwenene, iingxowa ezinkulu zokungcola. Ukuya kuthi ga kwiimitha ezisixhenxe ubude, ezenziwe ngeseyile kunye negeji yocingo enzima, ziyakha iindonga ezikhuselayo ejikeleze i-US ngaphandle kwe-Afghanistan kulo lonke elase-Afghanistan. Baza kuthatha owona mjikelo umbi we-sniper, iziqhushumbisi eziqhutywa ngompu, kunye namaqokobhe odaka, kodwa inye into enokubatshabalalisa ngokupheleleyo-i-Marines'9th Engineer Support Battalion.
Ekuqaleni kukaDisemba, iiNjineli ze-9 zazakha iziseko kwaye zigcwalisa i-Hescos kwiPhondo laseHelmand. Yathi iphela loo nyanga babe beqwenga abanye.
Basebenzisa iipickaxes, iifotsholo, iibolt-cutters, iisarha zokuhlangula ezinamandla, kunye nabalayishi bangaphambili, sele beqalisile iziseko "zokuphelisa umkhosi", ukusika inkitha yee-Hescos - ezixabisa i-700 yeedola okanye ngaphezulu i-pop - kwimfumba yentsimbi erhangiweyo kunye neeberms zebulldozing kwangaphambili. yokurhoxa kweMelika e-Afghanistan. Kwi-Firebase Saenz, umzekelo, iiMarines zahlanjwa kulwandle olubomvu ngokubomvu njengoko besarha indlela yabo kumnatha wesinyithi kwaye bavumela ukungcola kuphalale, beshiya ilizwe esele lihlaselwe ziziporho zaseBritane nezaseRussia nelinye ilizwe elingasebenziyo. indawo engaphandle. Emva kweSaenz, yayisiya kwesinye isiseko sokulinda ebesimiselwe intshabalalo.
Noko ke, asizizo zonke iindawo ezisemaphandleni ezidilizwayo. Abanye baya kuba unikelwe kuMkhosi wase-Afghan okanye amapolisa. Kwaye ngoku kwakhiwa amaziko amatsha emikhosi yemveli ngesantya esandayo. "Ukuba uqikelelo lwangoku luhlala luchanekile, siya kunikezela ngeekhontrakthi ezili-18 ngoFebruwari," uBonnie Perry, intloko yekontraka yoMkhosi wobuNjineli baseAfghanistan kwiSithili soMzantsi, xelelwe intatheli yomkhosi uKarla Marshall. “Kwikota ezayo silindele ukuba amabhaso ahlale ephezulu, nelona nani likhulu lamabhaso ekhontrakthi aza kwenzeka ngoMeyi.” Enye yeeprojekthi eziqhubekayo sisiseko esikhulu esikufutshane neHerat, esiya kubandakanya iibharaki, indawo yokutyela, indawo yeofisi, kunye nezinye izinto eziluncedo ze-commandos zase-Afghan.
Ndixelele ukuba Iphela Njani Oku
Akukho mntu makamangaliswe kukuba umkhosi wase-US uyakha kwaye udiliza iziseko ngaxeshanye, nokuba uninzi lolwakhiwo olutsha luyaqhubeka kwiziseko ze-mega, ngelixa iindawo ezincinci ezisemaphandleni zishiywa. Yile nto kanye onokuyilindela kumkhosi ojonge ukubuyisela umva "unyawo" kunye nokuphelisa imisebenzi emikhulu yokulwa ngelixa ugcina ubukho obuqhubekayo e-Afghanistan. Njengoko umkhosi wase-US ujonge ukurhoxa kwiziseko zawo ezinkulu kunye nokuthembela okwandisiweyo ekubulaleni / ukubamba ii-ops ezimnyama kunye nemishini yomoya engaqhutywa mntu, ayimangalisi into yokuba iiprojekthi zayo zokutyikitya zika-2012 zibandakanya umbutho omtsha okhethekileyo wemikhosi, indawo ye-drone eyimfihlo, kunye nentolongo entsha kraca yomkhosi.
Akukho mathandabuzo amancinci iBagram Air Base iya kubakho kwiminyaka emihlanu okanye eli-10. Ukuba ngubani oza kuhlala kuyo, nangona kunjalo, ayicacanga kangako. Emva kwayo yonke loo nto, e-Iraq, abaphathi baka-Obama bathethathethana ngendlela ethile yokumisa a ebalulekileyo umkhosi wamajoni - i-10,000 okanye ngaphezulu imikhosi - apho ngaphaya komhla wokurhoxisa owawubekwe ematyeni iminyaka. Ngelixa inani lophawu lwamajoni ase-US kunye neSebe leSizwe elinomkhosi omkhulu isabelo hlala ulapho, urhulumente wase-Iraq wayiphanzisa kakhulu imizamo yaseMelika-kwaye ngoku, nobukho beSebe likaRhulumente buncitshiswa ngesiqingatha.
Akunakwenzeka ukuba oku kuya kuba njalo e-Afghanistan, kodwa kuyenzeka. Nangona kunjalo, kucacile ukuba umkhosi uyakha kweli lizwe ngokungathi ubukho obuhlala bukhona baseMelika bunikiwe. Nokuba siyintoni na isiphumo, intsalela ye-boom yangoku yokwakha isiseko iya kuhlala kwaye ibe yinxalenye yelifa laseMelika lase-Afghan.
Kumhlaba we-Bagram kukho isakhiwo esahlukileyo esibizwa ngokuba yi-"Crow's Nest." Yinqaba yolawulo yakudala eyakhiwe ziiSoviets ukulungelelanisa imisebenzi yazo yasemkhosini e-Afghanistan. Loo mkhosi wasemzini walishiya elo lizwe 1989. ISoviet Union ngokwayo wemka ukusuka kwiplanethi ngaphantsi kweminyaka emithathu kamva. Inqaba ihleli.
Intolongo entsha yaseMelika eBagram ngokungathandabuzekiyo iya kuhlala, nayo. Ngubani oza kuba ngabagcini-ntolongo kwaye ngubani oza kuvalelwa kwiminyaka emihlanu okanye eli-10 ukusuka ngoku, ewe, akwaziwa. Kodwa ngenxa yembali - ephawulwe ngokungcungcuthekiswa kunye nokufa - okothusayo impatho yamabanjwa eBagram kwaye, ngokubanzi, ye impatho-mbi kumabanjwa nge onke amaqela Kungquzulwano oluqhubeka iminyaka, akukho nanye imeko apho iziphumo zinokuba zintle.
UNick Turse ngumhleli odibeneyo weTomDispatch.com. Intatheli ephumelele ibhaso, umsebenzi wayo uvele kwi Los Angeles Times, i Wesizwe, kunye rhoqo at TomDispatch. Eli nqaku lelesithandathu kwelakhe elitsha series kubuso obuguquguqukayo bobukhosi baseMelika, obubhalwa phantsi Lannan Foundation. Ungamlandela kuTwitter @NickTurse, ku Tumblr, nakuFacebook.
Eli nqaku lavela kuqala kwi-TomDispatch.com, iblogi yeSizwe yeZiko, ebonelela ngokuhamba ngokuqhubekayo kweminye imithombo, iindaba, kunye noluvo oluvela kuTom Engelhardt, umhleli wexesha elide ekupapasheni, umseki weProjekthi yoBukhosi baseMelika, umbhali we Ukuphela kweNkcubeko yoloyiso, njengenoveli, Iintsuku zokuGqibela zokuPapasha. Incwadi yakhe yamva nje yiNdlela yaseMelika yeMfazwe: Indlela iimfazwe zikaBush eziye zaba zezika-Obama (Iincwadi zeHaymarket).