U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday outlined a plan to withdraw all but 9,800 American troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year and pull out the rest by the end of 2016[.]
I know I'm supposed to be grateful that President Obama apparently learned the lesson that the total withdrawal from Iraq at the end of 2011 was a mistake.
But fewer than 10,000 American troops for 2015, fewer than 5,000 in 2016, and none in 2017 when the president steps down is no decision for victory. It is a a decision to avoid responsibility for losing the "real" war in Afghanistan.
On the bright side, at least we don't get down to 5,000 for another year, putting off a massacre a bit.
