In an interview at the end of 2015, the former chief of staff to Colin
Powell and retired US Army Colonel, Lawrence Wilkerson, outlined the
realistic timescale he believes the US
will be involved in Afghanistan, in addition to emphasizing the
strategic importance of the country to the US. Speaking to Abby Martin
on her show ‘The Empire Files’ for Telesur, Wilkerson asserted that the
“US presence in Afghanistan will not go away for another half-century”
(from 20:05 into the interview).
