IN ANNOUNCING his “enhanced surge” in Afghanistan, US president Barack Obama has crossed a Rubicon that will define the rest of his presidency. Despite his election on a tide of anti-war feeling, Mr Obama had always made clear he would not shirk what he saw as a legitimate job to be finished. Now, for good or ill, he has taken ownership of the war.
His speech at West Point on Tuesday night was an important tactical turning point and acknowledged the crucial interconnection between politics and military action. Although the 30,000-strong increased troop commitment caught the headlines, Mr Obama spoke of a three-part strategy that would on the one hand seek to reverse Taliban gains and better protect the Afghans, and on the other increase pressure on Kabul to build its own military capacity and more effective, honest government. Partnership with Pakistan is the third strand.
Part of the strategy involves supporting “efforts by the Afghan government to open the door to those Taliban who abandon violence and respect the human rights of their fellow citizens” – a welcome call that importantly hints at openness to dialogue with the Taliban.
Indeed the critical importance of a political track and reform of Afghan institutions was very much part of Mr Obama’s rationale for abandoning conventional military thinking which held that announcing a withdrawal timetable was simply to embolden the enemy to wait things out. “The absence of a timeframe for transition,” he argued, “would deny us any sense of urgency in working with the Afghan government. It must be clear that America has no interest in fighting an endless war in Afghanistan.”
In recent days he personally delivered the same blunt message to the barely legitimate Afghan president Hamid Karzai that would be reflected in the speech: “The days of providing a blank cheque are over”.
The other part of the rationale for announcing July 2011 as the start date for the return home of troops was pressure back home. Mr Obama has a delicate job to do in bringing reluctant Democrats with him. The most recent Washington Post-ABC News poll found 52 per cent saying the war is worth fighting, with Republicans agreeing by two to one, Democrats disagreeing by more than two to one, and independents split down the middle. In Congress the immediate challenge is to marshal support for paying the bill – Mr Obama’s revised strategy is estimated to cost $30 billion in a fiscal year.