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Politics : American Presidential Politics and foreign affairs -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Peter Dierks who wrote (49362)	2/25/2012 10:07:46 PM
From: greatplains_guy	1 Recommendation Respond to of 71588

Obama's Apology Surge Won't Work in Afghanistan Posted 02/24/2012 06:58 PM ET Afghanistan: The U.S. apologizes for a Quran-burning incident and — guess what? — the anti-American rioting goes on. This is to be expected from a White House policy that puts withdrawal foremost. It's one thing not to be liked. It's something else — and much worse in wartime — not to be taken seriously. The Obama administration has opted for the latter course in Afghanistan, and in recent days we've seen some of the consequences. Let's start from the beginning. When laborers found several copies of the Quran being burned at a NATO base, it was natural that people in this devout Muslim country would be angry. But it was not inevitable that the incident should lead to a wave of violence that so far has claimed the lives of two American soldiers. Such things happen when our enemies know that we are in no position to make them pay a price for their actions. We are weak by choice, and they know it. Our official ally, the government of Hamid Karzai, is likewise weak as well as divided. And it knows that, under the U.S. timetable for withdrawal of combat forces, it will soon be facing the Taliban on its own. Hence its inflammatory response to the Quran-burning incident: to demand that NATO put the Quran-burners on trial. And about that apology to Karzai from President Obama: In a different context — with an ally that we could trust to accept it and declare the matter closed — it might have served some purpose. Here it was just a fruitless embarrassment, sealing Obama's reputation as apologizer in chief. It gained us nothing, and in doing so cost the U.S. more of its fast-dwindling respect. Besides, America deserved an apology from Karzai's government every bit as much as his country deserved one from America. The two U.S. soldiers who died in this past week's violence were killed by a man in an Afghan army uniform. Karzai's army was unable or unwilling to stop an infiltrator. Either way, it bears some responsibility for the American deaths. But hard as it may be to stomach, there's something to be said for Karzai's point of view. Obama, against military advice, decided last June to put a firm deadline on the withdrawal of the 33,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan to carry out a counterinsurgency strategy similar to what worked in Iraq. Since then, he has not wavered from his commitment to end the surge in time for this year's presidential election. Karzai knows that, before long, he will have only his army — with some money, training and air support from the West — to face an insurgency with deep tribal support in his country and allies in Iran and Pakistan. So what's a survivor to do? Lash his government to a departing power or keep his options open in a post-American arena? Right now, his answer is obvious. But what if Obama says the withdrawal deadline is not so firm after all? Just announce that he is ready to defer to the generals in deciding when — and even if — the troops will leave. That move would help on at least two fronts: The Afghan government would be a better ally, and at least some elements of the Taliban would be inclined to negotiate for peace instead of just waiting for the U.S. to leave. Will Obama do any such thing? His record on Afghanistan — which in his 2008 presidential campaign he called a good war that he would pursue to victory — makes us skeptical. Neither the war nor his presidency is popular. With his every utterance these days seemingly aimed at getting him re-elected, a new call to arms in Afghanistan isn't in his political script. But it would be an act of leadership. Saying we're sorry has failed. Why not try the alternative? news.investors.com