by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright July 20, 2008
All Rights Reserved.

inishing his visit in Afghanistan, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.) called the war-torn region “the central front in the war on terror.” For the past six years, President George W. Bush insisted that Iraq, not Afghanistan, was the focal-point and key battlefield in fighting the terrorists responsible for Sept. 11. While Bush diverted the U.S. military to Iraq, the Taliban reasserted control in Afghanistan. Before Sept. 11, the Taliban gave Osama bin Laden free-reign and safe-haven in Afghanistan. Since the U.S. directed its military efforts to Iraq, the Taliban has regrouped, witnessing the recent massacre of nine U.S. troops July 13. in a remote northeast outpost. Obama has made it clear he sees Afghanistan, not Iraq, as the central front in the war on terror. GOP presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) insists the opposite. Voters have never had a clearer choice heading into November.

      McCain insists that Obama must base his foreign policy—especially whether to stay in Iraq—on U.S. Iraq Commander David Petraeus. Barack “is stubbornly adhering to an unconditional withdrawal that places politics above the advice of military commanders, the success of our troops and the security of the American people,” said McCain foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann. No U.S. commander—including Gen. Petaeus—sets U.S. foreign policy. Bush has reversed roles with Petreaus, expecting his battlefield commander to make political and national security decisions. Petraeus is not in a position to evaluate the bigger picture, namely, whether the Iraq War's costs outweigh the benefits. After five-and-a-half years Barack concluded that the Iraq War is neither in the best interest of the military nor U.S. national security.

      Bush and McCain have argued that a timetable for withdrawal is tantamount to surrender, aiding-and-abetting the enemy. Obama believes Iraq's fate cannot be decided by the U.S. military. While Barack opposed the war from the get-go, he sees no national security interest for continuing U.S. involvement. After nearly six years, he believes the Iraqi government should shoulder the human and economic toll of preserving their sovereignty. Bush and McCain insist that only Gen. Petraeus can decide when the U.S. is ready to withdraw. Iraqi President Nouri al-Maliki has asked the U.S. to set a reasonable timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops and returning sovereignty. “Barack Obama is wrong to advocate withdrawal at any cost just as he was wrong to oppose the surge that has put victory within reach,” said Scheunemann, rejecting both al-Maliki's and Barack's call for withdrawal.

      Whatever the conditions on the ground, the U.S. military can't force a political solution. Gen. Petreaus has done a superb job of reducing violence around Baghdad but can't be held responsible for Iraq's political solution. While McCain waits patiently for the day he can claim “victory,” more U.S. troops get injured and lose their lives. Countless dollars are spent funding the war and reconstruction at the expense of the U.S. economy. If the U.S. has any chance of preserving gains in Afghanistan, it must finish the job in Iraq and redirect military resources. Keeping the bulk of resources in Iraq prevents the military from making headway in Afghanistan. “There's starting to be a growing consensus that it's time for us to withdraw some of our combat troops out of Iraq, deploy them here in Afghanistan, and I think we have to seize the opportunity,” Barack told CBS News.

      While McCain enjoys a lead on Barack in certain polls for who'd make a better commander-in-chief, his position on Iraq is losing traction. Most opinion polls show a growing majority of Americans believe (a) the Iraq War was a mistake and (b) it's time for a definite exit strategy. McCain faces an uphill battle arguing that it's premature to begin an orderly redeployment of U.S. forces. Nearly six years of war, over 4,100 deaths and almost $1 trillion spent doesn't seem premature to most Americans. Bush argued in 2004, while debating former Democratic nominee Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), that the Iraqi government was close to taking over military security. Four years later, there's no end in sight. Obama's 16-month timetable for U.S. withdrawal is long overdue and not premature. McCain has painted himself into a corner insisting that he won't support a definite timetable.

      Afghan President Hamid Karzai gave high praise for Barack's plan to give his country higher priority. “We need urgency because the threat from the Taliban and al-Qaida is growing and we must act, we need determination because it will take time to prevail,” Obama told reporters in Kabul. Taliban and al-Qaida fighters have gotten a safe-haven from Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, prohibiting the U.S. military from taking action in Pakistan's ungoverned tribal lands along the Afghan border. Barack's focus to wrap up Iraq and redirect resources to Afghanistan appears consistent with most opinion polls. Recent polls show growing impatience with Bush's Iraq policy, presenting problems for McCain. Barack's trip to the Middle East and Europe improves his military and foreign policy credentials. McCain's call to heed Gen. Petraeus reminds voters that only the commander-in-chief sets U.S. foreign policy.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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