Monday, December 9, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Afghanistan Timeline: McChrystal gaffe latest step in Obama’s strategy of chaos
By Heritage Foundation @ 12:12 PM :: 8543 Views :: National News, Ethics, World News, Family

Time to Dump the Afghanistan Timeline

www.Heritage.org

The Washington Post reports today that Gen. Stanley McChrystal, U.S. commander in Afghanistan, apologized for an upcoming article in Rolling Stone magazine that portrays him and senior officials on his team as dismissive of top Obama administration officials. As a result, General McChrystal has been summoned to the White House to explain his comments. It is a case of poor judgment on the part of the general and his staff to air comments on the character of senior civilian leaders to a reporter, but both the White House and the brass need to put this media gaffe aside and focus on the real problem - destroying al Qaeda, defeating the Taliban and helping establish an Afghanistan that can govern itself.

As long as we are being frank, we ought to acknowledge that problem #1 in the president's strategy was setting an artificial timeline for withdrawal. That led our military leaders to question the strategy in Afghanistan and put tremendous, unnecessary pressure on our armed forces to accomplish the task at hand. And while that timeline provoked questions among top brass, it also led everyone involved to question America's resolve, from the government in Kabul, to the people in the villages, to the terrorists in the caves, and to the military in Pakistan. In particular, that has led Pakistan to continue to play a dangerous double game, trying to "manage" the Taliban rather than defeat them and root out al Qaeda. We have already seen the consequences - the Times Square Bomber admitted he was trained by the Pakistani Taliban in Pakistan, and he was sent here to kill Americans.

As Heritage regional expert Lisa Curtis writes:

By highlighting that the U.S. will begin withdrawing troops in July 2011, President Obama signals to Afghans and others that the U.S. is not truly committed to prevailing over the Taliban.

This weakens Afghan resolve to resist the Taliban now for fear they will be back in power in the near future. It also reinforces Pakistan's inclination to hedge on its support for the Afghan Taliban leadership based on its territory.

There are, however, no do-overs in war. The president can't pretend that he never set a timeline, and he can't undo his decision to send too few troops for the surge, rather than deploying the thousands more the generals in the field said would have been optimum to implement a better counter-insurgency strategy.  The president, however, can make things right.

First, he can dump the timeline.

Second, he can make a commitment to the American people that we will achieve victory in Afghanistan, and he can give our military leaders whatever additional forces or resources they need to get the job done.

Third, he can be crystal clear about how to deal with the Taliban. Curtis writes, "U.S. and NATO forces must first weaken the Taliban on the battlefield before engaging in serious negotiations with the leadership."

Fourth, the Administration has to press Pakistan to deal firmly and unambiguously with all terrorists, including those targeting its arch-rival, India.

President Obama's strategy has provoked serious questions among military leaders and our allies, it has posed serious problems for our troops on the ground, and it has undermined America's ability to win the war. In short, we do not need an artificial timeline for withdrawal. We need a strategy for victory.

---30---

RECENT ENTRIES

QUICK HITS

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii