The administration doesn’t want to do what’s necessary to win in Afghanistan because it sees it as a net political negative. Their efforts to try to come up with a national security justification for their craven inaction is growing increasingly pathetic:
It would be irresponsible to send more troops to Afghanistan until a legitimate and credible government is in place, the White House and top Democrats said Sunday.
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said the most critical issue facing U.S. strategy is whether the Afghans can be an effective partner in destroying Al Qaeda safe havens and bringing stability to the region.
“It would be reckless to make a decision on U.S. troop levels if in fact you haven’t done a thorough analysis of whether in fact there’s an Afghan partner ready to fill that space that U.S. troops would create and become a true partner in governing,” Emanuel said in an interview Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
We can’t carry out the mission because Afghanistan’s recent election is disputed? What does one have to do with the other? Plus: we’ve now told the enemy that all they have to do to keep us out is to keep disputing the election!
Lamest. Excuse. Ever.
UPDATE: Defense Secretary Gates says the election dispute is no reason to wait:
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday that the Obama administration cannot wait for the Afghan election to be resolved before making a decision on troop levels, appearing to be at odds with White House officials who have tied a decision on U.S. strategy to the resolution of the election and political stability.
Gates suggested the election would not have an immediate impact on the overall situation in the country.
He told reporters aboard his plane to Tokyo that the administration cannot “sit on our hands.”
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