Monday, October 19, 2009

Busy doing nothing

Oct. 19 (Bloomberg) -- White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel signaled the U.S. may refrain from deciding to send more troops to Afghanistan until a “legitimate and credible government” is in place.

“The president will not be rushed to making a decision” on Afghanistan, Emanuel said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program. It would be “reckless to make a decision on U.S. troop levels” without a through analysis of the country’s ability to govern itself, Emanuel said.
This announcement seems to me to be just about the least constructive contribution possible, undermining at a stroke:

1. The poor bloody infantry that are already there
2. said PBI's day to day relations with Afghan troops
3. The credibility of the US military leadership in the eyes of the world (friend and foe)
4. Afghan civilian faith and trust (such as it may be) in US commitment.

Rahm Emanuel, Kerry et al keeping their gobs shut would have been a much better response to the impasse if that is what it is.
David Bromwich: The Presidential Letdown

The pattern of the major announcement, the dilatory follow-up and the tardy self-defence has shown an alarming consistency in his administration. Obama ordered the closing of the prison at Guantánamo Bay as the first act of his presidency. Eight months later, Guantánamo remains open and unsolved. [ read more . . . ]
Whether moving from promising the earth and delivering sod all, to promising sod all represents an advance I leave to wiser heads than mine.

No comments: