The Obama Afghanistan policy.....seen walking around with the dodo bird.
The one thing that appears clear about the Obama Afghanistan policy: It's unclear what the policy is.
When then-candidate Obama campaigned touting the Afghanistan War was the "just war" and "winnable war", it appeared as though he was entering a new political pragmatism and a move to the political center. While many in the GOP had a good sense that this was political pandering, he seemed to have a clear view of what the American people wanted. After a closer look to his policy, it appears as though the he was saying the right words at the right time without a clue as to what really needs to be done, but knowing that it is a political football that his offense had firm control of.
Early on in his administration, President Obama is using political capital achieved by President Bush to appease the public on the conduct of the war in Afghanistan. He simply adopted the same policy hammered out by the previous administration in Iraq, the troop surge, and applied the same policy in Afghanistan. In May 17,000 troops were redeployed to the region with a promise more might come, which hasn't yet materialized to date. While that policy has not been widely challeged by many in congress and the public, closer scrutiny shows a flawed policy that needs immediate attention -- if that's possible with the domestic debates that are raging today.
Afghanistan is uniquely different than Iraq. There are very few natural resources to tie an economy to, there is no stable national culture, and the population is indigenous and therefore, ill-equipped to react on a national scale. The economic prospects are weak at best. The political prospects are even weaker. Centuries of wars and invaders to the region have been grotesque failures in policy and execution. The Soviets couldn't figure it out and their political might could arguably be considered stronger than ours. Military commitment has proven to be a failure because it's been a single pronged approach: invade and conquer.
Afghanistan will take much more than just a simple troop surge. President Obama is clearly backing our military into a corner that will not end well for our country and especially our troops. He has used the surge to say "see I meant what I said" without REALLY meaning what he said. It appears as though he's used the surge to buy himself time to push his domestic agendas and detract attention to the mounting problems faced in the middle east. In the meantime, civilian casualties are mounting, Taliban advancements are increasing, and political stability is being challenged with every incursion into Pakistan. A much different approach needs happen and happen quickly.
To take this forward the term "exit strategy" is now looming large on the horizon and the political play is coming clearly into focus. While the administration made the term akin to a four letter word in church, it is provocating the policy without actually saying it. As Obama pushes his big-spending domestic policies to the forefront, the question of who is going to pay for this and what the cost will be, will ultimately rest on the blood that has been shed in the region. The military strategy will be spun into a failure. The increase in civilian deaths are at the forefront of the consequences of increased military tempo, which the administration is getting a political bump in it's reporting. They knew it would happen and they've worked in lockstep with the liberal media to expedite it's reporting. The administration will say, "see we did our best and our military couldn't get it done, therefore its time to get out" ....and with it the billions and billions of dollars spent on the war can be politically and economically re-allocated to big spending domestic policies. The plan is disengenious at best, but mostly disrespectful to the thousands of men and women whom have sacrificed all in the name of keeping this country safe.
Militarily, we have rooted out safe havens in Afghanistan. We have delivered a staggering blow to Al Qaida and their political, terrorist organization and the financial network that supports it. The Military is doing it's job and doing it well given the parameters this administration is giving it to operate. This administration must increase cultural, diplomatic and economic support to this region and stop taking a disengenious "wait and see" approach to success. Our men and women who are fighting overseas should be afforded the opportunity at winning and not be used as a pawn in a failed foreign policy, contrived or not.
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