CBS and the New York Times are reporting that President Obama will order the drawdown of 10,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and the remainder of the surge troops by September 2012. “Two administration officials said General Petraeus did not endorse the decision,” the Times tells us, “though both Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who is retiring, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton reluctantly accepted it.”
So where did the president get the numbers? Not from Gates. Not from Clinton. Not from Petraeus. Reportedly from Joe Biden. And where did he get the dates? From the election calendar.
This is an amazing decision to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Those in the field believe that lower numbers will result in higher U.S. casualties, reduce the chance of success in stabilizing Afghanistan, and concede territory to the enemy. If, like Ron Paul, you believe there is “nothing for us to be gained in Afghanistan,” then losing faster is a great idea. If, like Obama (circa 2009), you believe there is something worth winning, then why decide to lose? Simple answer: Obama has decided that for him there is a binary sort. He can win the 2012 election or America can prevail in Afghanistan. A responsible commander-in-chief would recognize that with real leadership, he could achieve both.
More after the speech tonight. (I’ll tweet it live.)
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