Getting Beyond Afghanistan

Finding compromise between those who want to end the Afghanistan War as a definite success and the more populous camp, which tired of the costs long ago, President Obama’s announcement that he will leave just under 10,000 US troops until 2016 to train Afghan troops and guide missions is an attempt at a “responsible” withdrawal.  Although this approach will likely win the Obama Administration few points when it comes to its foreign policy record, it could help the next President of Afghanistan solidify his ability to govern with the backing of a more confident, supported Afghan military.  Success will, however, depend upon the ability of the Afghan military and government to function as they continue their long-term insurgent mission along with their efforts to build a functional civil society.

Although President Obama has outlined a new foreign policy paradigm, which embraces judicious restraint, i.e. limited, well-considered action, the use of soft power, and international cooperation over unilateral military intervention, the ratcheting down of the Afghanistan War represents an inability of the Obama Administration to fully shift its focus from the George W. Bush foreign policy approach to its own approach.  Even though this writer has long preached a great deal of what the Obama Administration has now found a way to verbalize, (http://voices.yahoo.com/retooling-grand-strategy-8027890.html?cat=9, http://voices.yahoo.com/how-us-engage-political-revolt-middle-7896222.html?cat=9, http://voices.yahoo.com/recalibrating-our-foreign-policy-vision-new-7896212.html?cat=9),   it is not likely to garner much public enthusiasm.  After all, it is a mission of moderation and responsible restraint on the subject of foreign policy, i.e. the American People will have little action to support or protest when it comes to issues that we are traditionally disengaged from.