Just making sure we’re all up-to-date on the latest ‘President Obama Afghan Decision 09’ process. Yesterday, the President met with a large bipartisan group of Congressmen and Senators with the major news coming out that he will not implement a major evacuation of American troops from Afghanistan nor fall back on orchestrating a strictly anti-Al Qaeda campaign. In other words, a decision had yet to be made, but a serious withdrawal was off the table. This news story probably doesn’t make those who feel that McChrystal’s recommendation for a large troop build up to implement a counterinsurgency campaign is the right way to go, feel too positive as the goal posts seem to have shifted a bit. Today, Obama met with his NSC team to go over Afghan strategy, but I have not heard any links about what was said or decided.
Also of note was a fine analysis by Robert D. Kaplan on some of the geopolitical ramifications of the US presence in Afghanistan and what an American withdrawal or defeat might mean. The analysis specifically focuses on China’ and India’s position in and on Afghanistan’s present and future. Check it out.
