The bedrock principle in the debate on the war in Afghanistan rests on the idea that whatever military action the US undertakes in the country will only serve as ‘a prelude to, rather than a substitute for, Afghanistan taking over the security job.’

That is saying that the ‘White House wants to make sure surge will enable handover.’ The Obama administration is focusing on exit from Afghanistan and the long-drawn war that the US has been waging in the country. ‘Obama’s main problem with the initial military plan was that it seemed too open ended.’ The US president wants to bring the troops back home.

The said exit plan is critical to the buildup of troops in Afghanistan. ‘The goal is for American troops to reverse the rise of Taliban strength in the short term, buying time for Afghan President Hamid Karzai to build up security and police forces that can take over while American forces phase out.’ This real face of the Afghan policy explains why the Obama administration has been taking what is construed as a long time in deciding what to do with the war in Afghanistan.

‘The goal in the rethink, then, is to put in place a specific plan for an Afghan force buildup that moves directly parallel to a new American military push against the Taliban. And a crucial, but little-noticed, adjunct of that strategy requires making sure that next-door-neighbor Pakistan steps up the pressure on the Taliban and al-Qaeda elements that use its territory as a safe haven for their operations in Afghanistan.’

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Via The Wall Street Journal