President Barack Obama is sending his national security advisers back to the drawing board. According to White House reports, the President has decided to reject all of the options presented him for military deployments in Afghanistan.
According to administration sources, Obama is asking for strategies that include a definite timetable for handing off the fight against the Taliban and al-Qaeda to Afghan security forces. Obama has informed Afghan President Hamid Karzai that the United States' commitment to Afghanistan "is not open-ended."
In recent months, there has been spirited internal debate on the best way forward for the United States in Afghanistan. Reports have cited policy differences among the President's Cabinet, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supporting a large troop increase and Vice President Joe Biden recommending fewer U.S. troops and more international pressure on both the Taliban and the Afghan government.
But a series of cables from U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry may have tipped the discussion decisively against a large troop buildup, at least for the near future. Eikenberry's communiques question the suitability of Karzai as a long-term strategic partner, noting the pervasive corruption in his government and the presence of drug smugglers and warlords at its highest levels. As Eikenberry commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007 before retiring from the military, his words carry more than just diplomatic weight.
The Times of London reports that both Eikenberry's memos and the statements about the American commitment issuing from the White House are meant as shots across the bow of the Karzai administration as it assembles a new cabinet in advance of a Nov. 19 inauguration date. According to the Times report, the draft lists of cabinet officers are laced with corrupt officials who are unacceptable to Western leaders.
Eikenberry's comments reportedly upset Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the current commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, who has called publicly for an additional 40,000 troops to be sent to the country. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen issued a statement saying the alliance backed the call for a large troop surge despite Eikenberry's misgivings.
Public opinion in both the U.S. and Europe is slowly turning against the war, with slight majorities on both sides of the Atlantic now favoring a date certain for withdrawal. Earlier this month, the head of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan, Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide, also warned Karzai against assuming that the military goal of defeating the Taliban and al-Qaeda would be sufficient for Western governments to sustain support for large numbers of troops in Afghanistan. "It is the public opinion in donor countries and in troop-contributing countries that decides on the strength of that commitment," he said.
Options for sending troops to Afghanistan ranged from a low figure of 10,000 to 15,000 troops to train Afghan security forces to the high of 40,000 recommended by Gen. McChrystal.
Obama leaves today on an eight-day journey to several Asian nations. He is not expected to announce a definite decision until after he returns from the trip.
Written by Sandy Smith
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