Obama Strategy for Defeat in Afghanistan

Last night before an audience of Cadets at West Point, the Commander in Chief, Barack Obama, displayed his gross ignorance of strategic affairs and inexperience with military affairs. In a speech in which Americans were eager to hear a plan for victory, Obama instead laid the seeds of defeat without honor.

His lack of insight was on display for the world to see. He was there to announce his new strategy developed over his last three months of dithering and indecision on the future of Afghanistan.

Clearly this is the biggest decision of his term so far. He had to choose between the recommendation of his commanding General on the ground, Stanley McChrystal, or options developed by the feckless doves who control the White House. He chose the latter. In so doing, he ended hope of American success and doomed thousands of young soldiers to death far from home in a quagmire he has exacerbated.

Obama, obsessed with pleasing and looking good to liberals, is desperate for an "end game." He wants to "get in there quickly" and transfer responsibility for security to the Afghan military as rapidly as possible. Obama aims to begin winding down troop numbers as early as July 2011, regardless of military realities.

The heart of the decision is to send two brigades, one from the Marines and one from the Army, plus reserves, amounting to 30,000 soldiers. They are to be deployed to Afghanistan over the next six months, bringing the number of American troops in Afghanistan to 100,000. They are to be stationed in the south and east, where US forces are under pressure and needing reinforcements.

But the real kicker, which will doom his new strategy, was the announcement of an unrealistic timetable for withdrawal of 12 to 18 months. Announcing to Al-Qaida and the Taliban his exit strategy, he has given away all the information our enemies need to counter his moves.  By telegraphing his moves to the enemy, he just committed one of the biggest  strategic blunders possible. 

So his errors are compounded and will America bumble to a withdrawal before victory because the extra 30,000 troops will not be enough to counter an increasingly confident Taliban. Plus, the timetable for training the Afghan army and police is unrealistic.  Finally, it is likely that the troops sent will be sitting ducks because of his wrongheaded change to the rules of engagement earlier in the year.

Overnight polling shows Americans are uneasy with his policy with only 35% supporting his Afghanistan policy. I am not surprised. He has now completed a trifecta of bad decision in Afghanistan.

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