The Republican of Springfield (Mass.), Oct. 16:
Reality can be such a bother. For those who’ve made plans or promises, it can present some most-unwelcome difficulties, imposing very real rainy skies on a long-hoped-for day at the beach. But that’s not always the worst of it.
What can bring even more trouble is a refusal to acknowledge that what’s happening simply won’t allow what had been planned to go forward. No one with even a whit of wisdom would proceed with a picnic when a hurricane is on the way.
President Barack Obama on Thursday announced that he would reverse course on Afghanistan, committing to leave nearly 10,000 troops in the stillunstable nation through the end of next year, with more than half that number to still be there after he leaves office in 2017. This move, of course, runs completely counter to his longstanding desire to draw down troop levels and effectively be out of Afghanistan by the end of his second term.
His decision is wise and prudent, a recognition that reality sometimes trumps all else.
Increasing violence and continued failures of Afghanistan’s military made Obama’s decision the sole realistic option. Anyone who’d hoped that our nation’s time in Afghanistan was nearing its end had to be quickly disabused of that notion when Taliban militants recently overran the northern city of Kunduz.
No one can accuse the president of making this move for political reasons. His decision will displease folks on all sides, with many Republicans feeling that the troop commitment is too small, and leaving most on the warweary Democratic left wishing that the commander in chief had followed through on his pledge to bring the troops home. Both are expected, knee-jerk reactions. For some, any sentence that begins with the words “Obama decides to …” is sufficient reason for them to oppose the move, no matter what it is. Others are unhappy with any military move that doesn’t reduce our nation’s commitment.
Wars have their own logic and their own timetables. And they often resist plans to end them, one way or another. Admitting that reality is dictating the next move isn’t always easy – the administration spent months analyzing the situation before Thursday’s announcement – but, in the end, it’s a whole lot better than pretending that things haven’t changed.
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