"I think one of the biggest mistakes we've made strategically after 9/11 was to fail to finish the job here, focus our attention here. We got distracted by Iraq,"- Presidential Candidate Barack Obama – July 2008In February 17, 2009 Obama deployed 17,000 troops to Afghanistan. His March 27, announcement deploys an extra 4,000 troops for a total of 21,000 additional troops. Nobody should be surprised he’s done this. Since his visit to Afghanistan in July of 2008 Obama has been talking about increasing troop levels in Afghanistan. "For at least a year now, I have called for two additional brigades, perhaps three. I think it's very important that we unify command more effectively to coordinate our military activities. But military alone is not going to be enough." (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/20/obama.afghanistan/).This is part of an overall shift in US military and diplomatic strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. President Obama’s announcement outlines a strategy that mixes diplomacy, aid and military support. (http://www.cfr.org/publication/18952/obamas_strategy_for_afghanistan_and_pakistan_march_2009.html). Since his March announcement, there has been a lot of solemn punditry on how this is now “Obama’s War.” But this isn’t Obama’s war at all. This is Bush’s war that Obama has decided to fight. Bush started the war and then lost interest when he unwrapped the shiny new war in Iraq – the war he wanted to fight all along. After Iraq started, he was content to let the Afghan conflict drift along without a strategy or goal. He sent in just enough Americans so that he wouldn’t have to say he withdrew and let the country fall apart. Americans fought and died in a war that the President had no plans for and little interest in.Throughout his campaign Obama called for an increase in military support for the Afghan war, drawn from the resources that were going to be leaving Iraq. He was very upfront and open with the American voter – “vote for me and you are voting for an escalation in Afghanistan.”Many in the blogosphere and advocacy groups are now organizing their antiwar efforts to oppose Obama’s new strategy. But the time to argue about whether we should be in Afghanistan is long past. The reality is we are there and as a result we have obligations we must meet. As a result of the aimless Bush policy the Taliban has regained strength, and is spreading into Pakistan.These are not nice guys. The Taliban had the habit of executing Buhrka clad women in the national stadium for the amusement of their supporters. The list of their atrocities are long. They have begun to destabilize Pakistan. If there is any question of what the stakes are imagine a Pakistan controlled by the Taliban – with its nuclear arsenal – facing India in the Kashmir. Candidate Obama said resolving the conflict in Kashmir was a key to bringing stability to the entire region. If Pakistan and India are not at risk of going nuclear over Kashmir, the region will be safer with fewer opportunities for extremist to launch terror attacks in the region. Pakistan and India will be able to assume their rightful places of leadership in the area helping stabilize and resolve regional conflicts and support struggling governments like Afghanistan.Obama has proposed a policy in Pakistan that is more than Bush’s previous policy of writing a check to Mushariff and letting him do whatever he wanted – including allowing Taliban and Al Qaeda sanctuary along the Afghan border. Obama is proposing comprehensive training of local police, so all involved can begin to take care of their own security. He has also proposing aid that will enable locals to draw away from Taliban and Al Qaeda. The war finally has a plan with an exit strategy. Americans won’t be sent aimless into harm’s way without any hope of peace for the region. President Obama has done in Afghanistan what Candidate Obama said he would do. Let’s hope he succeeds as he tries to resolve the second of Bush’s wars. Success will bring stability and peace to a volatile region.
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Kerry Lauerman
Joan Walsh
Salon.com
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