The British may be tiring of the Afghanistan campaign and may not be able to afford to fight there anyway, preferring to spend their money elsewhere on domestic needs.
President Obama has weighed in to bolster British resolve:
"My heart goes out to the families of those British soldiers," he said. "Great Britain has played an extraordinary role in this coalition, understanding that we can not allow either Afghanistan or Pakistan to be a safe haven for al-Qaida, those who with impunity blow up train stations in London or buildings in New York."
Obama, interviewed in Ghana on Saturday, spoke as British leaders coped with new questions about the war in light of the loss of eight soldiers within a 24-hour period that ended Friday. Those deaths pushed Britain's overall toll in Afghanistan to 184.
Some former officers say British forces lack the proper equipment to prevail in Helmand Province, where they have been engaged in fierce fighting with Taliban forces.
Remember, Afghanistan was the "good war" only for our anti-war side trying to undermine victory in Iraq. It was bad form to be seen as anti defending ourselves so they claimed Afghanistan was the "good war" while Iraq was the "bad war." The British and Europeans never had to work under that strained logic and so view both wars as bad.
To be fair, our anti-war side is turning on the Afghanistan fight, too. We shall see how long our Congress funds the fight.
