According to Rice, anything less than a residual force of 10,000 American troops will send the message that the US is not serious about helping to stabilize Afghanistan – a message that would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin further. What she does not seem to recognize is that America’s deteriorating ties with Russia – a key conduit for US military supplies to Afghanistan – could undercut its basing strategy.
按照赖斯的说法，只要留驻军队少于10,000人，其所释放的信号就是美国对于帮助稳定阿富汗局势并不上心——而这一信号会让俄罗斯总统普京更加肆无忌惮。她似乎没有认识到，美国与俄罗斯关系的恶化可能削弱这一驻军战略——俄罗斯是美国向阿富汗提供军事供给的主要渠道。