Out of Afghanistan

By Douglas V. Gibbs

The anti-war candidate that became President has finally decided it is time to pull American combat troops out of Afghanistan during the final two years of his final term in office.  The personnel that will remain in the region will be for non-combat operations, and training.  One wonders if perhaps his decision was influenced by the possibility of needing the additional personnel to fight against ISIS in Iraq?

Originally, the plan was for the number be cut in half by the end of 2015, and by the end of 2016 to have only a force in place to protect the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.  In May, the President announced U.S. Combat troops would be out of the region by January of 2015.

Earlier this year, Mr. Obama said the withdrawal of combat troops from Afghanistan would free up resources to confront the emerging terrorist threat in the Middle East, a group now identified as The Islamic State (ISIS).  As Obama now announces we are done with Afghanistan, and we are pulling out as many troops as we can, and as military gear piles up in Kuwait, it is fascinating that the timing of getting out of Afghanistan coincides with the Obama administration possibly preparing to launch a massive ground assault against ISIS.

On Sunday, President Barack Obama said it is time to "conclude the war responsibly."  10,000 troops remain, but the war is formally ended.  In a ceremony in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul on Sunday, the commander of the International Security Assistance Force officially marked the end of coalition combat in Afghanistan by rolling up the ISAF flag.

The White House claims Afghanistan is better off now than when the United States began its mission in the country thirteen years ago, but the violence in Kabul has been increasing as American presence has been reduced.

While golfing in Hawaii, and forcing a wedding to relocate because they dared to allow their ceremony to be where he wanted to play through, President Obama commented on the withdrawal.  Obama's Christmas address to Marines stationed on Oahu thanked the troops for their efforts and achievements in Afghanistan, and asserted the U.S. is safer because of the effort there.

Afghanistan is "not going to be a source of terrorist attacks again," he said at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay.  I fear Mr. Obama may be mistaken.  All Islamic countries are likely to be a source for terrorist attacks in the future.

The Taliban's response to the U.S. removal of troops has been to claim it signifies that the Taliban has defeated the United States in Afghanistan.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

U.S. Troops to Leave Afghanistan by End of 2016 - New York Times

U.S. Military equipment being detoured for possible battle vs. ISIS - Fox News

Obama's golf outing forces soldiers to relocate wedding - Yahoo News

Obama marks end of combat in Afghanistan - CNN

Taliban Claims America 'Defeated' in Afghanistan - The Weekly Standard