Pusillanimous retreat in Afghanistan

President Barack Obama is warning U.S. military commanders that he’s “skeptical” about whether more troops will make a difference in Afghanistan.

When Obama was a junior senator, he unambiguously opposed the surge of additional troops in Iraq. Had the military listened to him at the time, it is unlikely that the U.S. would have had its subsequent military success in Iraq.

Most Americans after Sept. 11 agreed with President Bush that the war against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan was worth fighting. Even Obama agreed in his campaign that this was the good war.

Now the U.S. is at a military crossroads in the stalled Afghanistan war. The U.S. government must decide whether it wants to fight to win in Afghanistan. Fighting to a stalemate or, worse yet, losing, is not an option that most Americans are willing to support. America is willing to sacrifice its sons and daughters to war where the country commits all resources necessary to win. However, America should not sacrifice these brave young warriors on the altar of political ambivalence.

If Obama is not willing to support his commanders with the troops and other resources they need to win, he has two choices — fire his commanders or get out of Afghanistan as soon as possible.


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