From the President’s speech:
…The goal that we seek is achievable, and can be expressed simply: no safe-haven from which al Qaeda or its affiliates can launch attacks against our homeland, or our allies. We will not try to make Afghanistan a perfect place. We will not police its streets or patrol its mountains indefinitely. That is the responsibility of the Afghan government, which must step up its ability to protect its people; and move from an economy shaped by war to one that can sustain a lasting peace. What we can do, and will do, is build a partnership with the Afghan people that endures – one that ensures that we will be able to continue targeting terrorists and supporting a sovereign Afghan government…
But this isn’t the War on al Qaeda – it is a war on Islamism. Kill every last al Qaeda member and the war will still go on…we’re negotiating with the Taliban and pretending that the defeat of al Qaeda (and the death of bin Laden) finishes our effort. What we might be ushering in, however, is a new, Taliban-dominated Afghan government in alliance with Iran and Syria, which will also put Pakistan in a vise and could easily result in a full-blown Islamist regime there, as well. We’re setting up dominoes to fall.
The problem with the Obama plan has always been the fact that Obama is not seeking absolute victory. He has set the parameters of US involvement and our enemies are happily conforming to that – as long as it gets us out of there, they feel confident they can win it all in the long run. Only a Bush-life “we’re not leaving until we win” can do the trick – and Obama won’t do it. He’s got a liberal base to placate for the election…
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