National Security Online Resource Center

A few thoughts on President Obama’s decision to increase troop-presence in Afghanistan:

1. This was a good, but long-awaited move. Despite his objection to President Bush’s Iraqi surge in 2007, President Obama has recently realized that this strategy was effective and decided to implement it in Afghanistan. This is another case (just like his policy change in Honduras) of his demonstrated ability to realize when he is wrong and (quietly) change course.

2. The fact that he set a date for troop withdrawal in July of 2011 is shortsighted and may have been implemented to appease an increasingly-frustrated liberal anti-war base. We have no way of knowing the environment in Afghanistan in 2011. Therefore, setting a troop withdrawal date is a shortsighted move. While his base may be pleased to hear that the troops will come home, this strategy could well backfire if troops have to stay longer than July 2011.

3. Obama may have made the correct decision (sort of), but the fact that he waited this long, much to the chagrin of the military, was arrogant and irresponsible. President Obama is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces; he should not postpone major military decisions without a good reason. Postponing meeting with his generals indicates that he was unwilling to hear his options, not that he was mulling his options to make an informed decision.

Overall, this could have been done a lot better. But at least he got something right.