Rear Guard

While I think we mistakenly truncated our Afghanistan phased surge offensive by accelerating its withdrawal last year, we at least aren't racing for the exits in a way to look like a hasty retreat.

I've worried about the optics of our Afghanistan withdrawal. So this news is welcome in shaping that imagery:

The United States will maintain more than 60,000 troops in Afghanistan through the spring and summer fighting season, cutting to 34,000 by February and staying at that strength through the Afghan elections set for 2014, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.

On top of the decision to delay planned cuts to Afghan security forces by keeping them at current strength through 2018, we increase the sense that we are withdrawing because we are winning rather than retreating because we are losing.