# Does the US care if Belgium and France, etc. are in Afghanistan? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 16, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-us-care-if-belgium-and-france-etc-are-in-afghanistan/426720 "2007-11-16T17:39:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malachi\_Throne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Malachi\_Throne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malachi_Throne)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-us-care-if-belgium-and-france-etc-are-in-afghanistan/426720/1 "2007-11-16T17:39:23Z")
I think it should, yet their contributions are never mentioned. And they are reassessing with an eye to pull out. Shouldn’t we be actively seeking European help there? Aren’t they the main countries who suffer when instability makes drug trafficking the economic mainstay? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-us-care-if-belgium-and-france-etc-are-in-afghanistan/426720/2 "2007-11-16T17:53:31Z")
IIRC they aren’t really doing anything much at the moment. This is not to insult them, but I understand the areas they’re responsible for are pretty quiet. Most troops have been deployed to the eastern borders with Pakistan. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-us-care-if-belgium-and-france-etc-are-in-afghanistan/426720/3 "2007-11-16T20:43:07Z")
That’s a limited way to look at it. Unless you can keep the safe parts of Afghanistan safe the entire rebuilding process is doomed. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-us-care-if-belgium-and-france-etc-are-in-afghanistan/426720/4 "2007-11-17T03:18:29Z")
At this point, I’m not even certain the U.S. cares if the **U.S.** is in Afghanistan. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-us-care-if-belgium-and-france-etc-are-in-afghanistan/426720/5 "2007-11-17T03:29:17Z")
[QUOTE=smiling bandit] IIRC they aren’t really doing anything much at the moment. This is not to insult them, but I understand the areas they’re responsible for are pretty quiet. Most troops have been deployed to the eastern borders with Pakistan. [/QUOTE] If that is the case wouldn´t it be possible that is so because they are doing a good job? To be honest I don´t know if it`s one way or the other, but it bears considering the two posibilities. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-us-care-if-belgium-and-france-etc-are-in-afghanistan/426720/6 "2007-11-17T03:41:18Z")
Afganistan has mostly been toned down. The Taliban is no longer a player at all except bordering Waziristan. And while the contributions of other nations were helpful and noted at the time, they aren’t a big deal now. We’re just there to kill 'em off until the locals have a sturdier defense. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-us-care-if-belgium-and-france-etc-are-in-afghanistan/426720/7 "2007-11-17T03:49:47Z")
[QUOTE=smiling bandit] Afganistan has mostly been toned down. [/QUOTE] Really? Admitedly I haven’t been paying that much attention, but I was under the impression that it was getting worse. 2007 was the [deadliest year](http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/11/10/afghanistan.nato.clashes/index.html) for Americans there, and I’ve heard several reports the Taliban has been gaining strength.