After months of deliberation, U.S. President Barack Obama has announced his plans for Afghanistan. As anticipated, Mr. Obama decided to send an additional 30,000 troops to the embattled country over the new few months. And as expected, that decision has not satisfied anyone. His supporters want U.S. forces out of Afghanistan; his critics condemn his deadline for withdrawal of those forces, arguing it will only embolden America's enemies. Both criticisms are wrong, but they underscore the precariousness of Mr. Obama's position: This announcement is only the beginning of a long and arduous process, one in which success will in many ways depend on the support the president gets from his own citizens.
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Mr. Obama called the Afghan conflict "a war of necessity," a sharp contrast to Iraq, which he termed "a war of choice." Yet, as the United States drew down forces in Iraq and strengthened its commitment to Afghanistan, it was not clear what U.S. strategy was: What threat did Afghanistan pose to the U.S., how could it be countered, and how would the world know when the war was won — or lost?
After months of intense debate within his administration over those questions — "dithering," said his critics; a long-overdue assessment, said his supporters — Mr. Obama provided his answers in a speech to West Point cadets on the night of Dec. 1. Calling al-Qaida a "cancer" on a region that "is the epicenter of violent extremism," he concluded that "the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan." He outlined three goals: denying al-Qaida a safe haven; reversing the Taliban's momentum and denying it the ability to overthrow the government in Kabul; and strengthening the capacity of Afghanistan's security forces and government so that they can take lead responsibility for their country's future.