Obama Plots Uncertain, Promising Path for Withdrawal from Afghanistan

COMMENTARY | President Obama gave an impassioned speech Wednesday concerning the decade-old war in Afghanistan. The president announced the withdrawal of 10,000 American troops by the end of this year and a total of 33,000 troops by the end of next summer. However, Obama also gave a sobering account of the past 10 years, and an indication of what we should do going forward. While the president will always have his critics, Americans should take solace in knowing their president was correct on all fronts.

A War without a Goal

After September 11^th, President George W. Bush decided to invade Afghanistan, and rightfully so. The Taliban was harboring Al-Qaeda, along with its leader, Osama bin Laden. Yet, as the years passed, it became evident that the execution of the war had gone awry. Some questioned, like John McCain, if the invasion force was sufficient to capture and maintain Taliban strongholds, according to the Associated Press; it was not.

In 2003, America invaded Iraq. Whether you supported the Iraq war or not, any objective observer would agree that it diverted resources from Afghanistan. American troops continued to fight the Taliban. Villages were captured, only to be retaken by Taliban forces as American troops were forced to fight elsewhere. The Afghan people were resistant to offer American forces assistance, as they knew cooperation would cost them their lives once the United States left their tribal villages. Seven years in, President Obama inherited a murky, if not failing, objective. His critics will say that he simply continued Bush's policy, and I agree, but he did it better.

Ending Mission Creep

In his speech, the president outlined how he approached the war. Instead of the mission creep that occurred under Bush, Obama tightened up the objective: Find Osama bin Laden and attack Al-Qaeda where operatives are. A surge was implemented that deployed 33,000 more troops to Afghanistan; a strategy borrowed from Bush's surge in Iraq. More importantly, Obama increased drone attacks along the Pakistan/Afghan border. This strategy threatened to alienate not only the Pakistanis, but his supporters as well.

With Osama bin Laden now dead, information at his compound indicated that Al-Qaeda is under considerable stress. When the surge ends, 70,000 American troops will remain in Afghanistan, according to AP. There are serious questions as to whether Afghan forces can handle their own security. But when President Obama announced the surge, he promised troops would begin to come home this July, and he is keeping that promise. How many presidents can say that?

Being Realistic

Finally, the president is willing to take a step that will be unpopular but necessary. It has been known for days that the United States is in peace talks with the Taliban, according to BBC News. No American wants his/her country to negotiate with men who oppress women and rule with violence. But the Taliban has a presence in Afghanistan: that is undeniable. Unless America is willing to shed more blood for an indefinite amount of time, the Taliban must be part of a political solution. This is the ugly nature of geo-politics: It is sometimes necessary to negotiate with those you detest. In his speech, Obama spoke of pragmatism. We must accept that the Taliban will be a part of the Afghan government.

Finally, President Obama said what every American is thinking: "It is time to focus on nation building here at home." We must be more responsible when using America's greatest treasure, our men and women. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are far from over. Troops will continue to be in both countries for years to come. We can only hope that Wednesday was a roadmap for the beginning of the end. We have sacrificed enough.