Reaction to the President’s Afghanistan Speech: A War to Be Won

James Carafano / December 01, 2009

Tonight President Obama outlined his plans for operations in Afghanistan. The President was right to call the U.S. mission a “war of necessity” in March, and that America must “finish the job.” But even after the commitments from the White House tonight, grave concerns remain that this administration is willing to do all that is needed to win this necessary war.

It is inexcusable that President Obama has taken this long to make a decision. Given that he has been in office over 10 months; the many months General McChrystal has been in theatre; and the critical situation on the ground, the delay has put the mission in graver jeopardy and left American lives unnecessarily at risk. It seems clear that the president has spent months trying to craft a politically acceptable strategy rather than really focusing on the military mission. We have grave concerns that the Administration has inadequately resourced General McChrystal’s strategy, and that the Administration has not dedicated sufficient energy and priority to building-up U.S. forces in the region—which further jeopardizes the ability of our troops to execute their mission. (more…)