U.S. seeks new bases for drones [in Central Asia] targeting Al Qaeda in Pakistan

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Los Angeles Times, 16 February 2014

"The Obama administration is making contingency plans to use air bases in Central Asia to conduct drone missile attacks in northwest Pakistan in case the [US] is forced to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan at the end of this year, according to U.S. officials', the paper reports. … "Intelligence officials back a plan by Gen. Joe Dunford, the top commander in Afghanistan, for keeping about 10,000 U.S. troops in the country after 2014, if only to keep the CIA drone program going. 'It's one of the reasons the intelligence community is supporting Gen. Dunford's plan,' one official said.'