Issues: Listen to the Generals
October 12th, 2009

Over the weekend, new information emerged that continues to reveal the refusal of the Obama Administration to deal with the realities on the ground in Southeast Asia in favor of appeasing the fringe left of the president’s political party.

In interviews with more than 15 senior and mid-level intelligence experts, McClatchy Newspapers found they believe the administration is looking to minimize the threat radical Islam poses in an effort to make American policy fit the left's political agenda.

In an opinion piece I wrote to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, I was encouraged that the president appeared to be moving toward listening to the military professionals he selected to lead the effort in Afghanistan. Sadly, it seems that growing pressure from the left has caused him to retreat from this position. Refusing to follow the recommendations of those military professionals threatens to result in a disastrous outcome for America and for the nations of the region. The McClatchy article from Sunday contained this dire warning:

“A U.S. withdrawal or failure could permit al Qaida and other groups to export their violence from Afghanistan into Pakistan's heartland, the Indian-controlled side of the disputed Kashmir region and former Soviet republics in Central Asia whose autocrats have been repressing Islam for decades, the U.S. officials said.

Allowing the Taliban to prevail, the officials said, could reignite Afghanistan's civil war, which was fought largely on ethnic lines, and draw nuclear-armed India and Pakistan into backing opposing sides of the conflict.”

As America’s newest Nobel Prize winner considers his options for the region, putting aside domestic political considerations in favor of the recommendations of experienced and knowledgeable generals such as David Petraeus and Stanley McChrystal is the path he should follow. It should be remembered, this is the same president who, as a candidate, declared the surge policy in Iraq had failed. Given his record, it seems he should let the professionals make the call.

The men and women we send to defend us and the families they leave behind deserve nothing less.

Posted by Robin Smith

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