Afghanistan: Should Obama wait?
Hamid Karzai agrees to a run-off, removing an obstacle to Obama's decision on sending more troops
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has agreed to a run-off election on Nov. 7 with his top challenger, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. Karzai faced international pressure to accept election monitors' conclusion that he hadn't won a majority in the first round. The White House said President Obama wouldn't decide whether to send more troops until it was clear the Afghan government was a "credible" partner. Should Obama wait to see what happens in the runoff?
Obama should wait: Afghanistan's election crisis isn't over yet, said The Boston Globe in an editorial. There has to be an honest government in Kabul "to have any hope of saving Afghanistan from another Taliban takeover." So it's wise for President Obama to hold off on deciding to send another 40,000 soldiers until it's "clear what kind of government will emerge" from the "fraud-skewered presidential election."
End Afghan election crisis first
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Delay could be dangerous: Many in the military are already worried "the president is moving too slowly," said Elisabeth Bumiller in The New York Times. Frustration is rising because many active duty and retired officers say extremists have been emboldened by the delay, and if Afghanistan blows up it could be too late. The administration seems determined to hold back, though, on the logic that it would be "reckless to rush a decision" without a clear partner in Kabul.
As the Commander in Chief deliberates, frustration builds within the ranks
The time for a surge is now: Obama knows everything he needs to know, said Stephen Biddle in The New Republic. Gen. Stanley McChrystal's integrated counterinsurgency, or COIN, calls for more American troops and a doubling of the Afghan military and police force to 400,000. It's a big commitment, but there is no "middle way" that offers the same chance of success without much greater cost.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published