Some conservatives have been cheered by the announcement of Obama’s Afghanistan policy (see Kristol and Kagan) but Tom Donnelly criticizes the counternarcotics component of the strategy in a post below, John McCain told the Washington Times that Obama’s plan was “not enough,” and a Republican emails THE WEEKLY STANDARD with this broadside:
The speech was classic Obama — all show no substance. He announces 17,000 combat troops in a press release but announces 4,000 traniers in a big ceremony. He accepts the Bush level for the ANA [Afghan National Army] when McCain called for at least doubling it last summer. [General David] McKiernan has called for 30,000 troops and candidate Obama said he would get them. President Obama shortchanges the commander he said he would support. Obama spoke about defeating AQ but not about defeating the Taliban. Obama may have rejected the Biden-Steinberg minimalist path to defeat but he chose a Holbrookian keep options open NOT a Petreaus security first counterinsurgecy strategy. He spoke in platitudes about Afghan governance, counternarcotics, and Pakistan’s need to do more on counterterror but offerred not a single specific on how to get there. Instead he uses Afghanistan to push his opening to Iran — as if Iran wants to see the us succeed in Afghanistan so a pro-American, democratic ally is on Tehran’ss eastern border. This is lowest common denominator consensus policy that will not lead to success in Afghanistan.
