By Dov S. Zakheim
Kabul has changed in many ways since I was last here in early 2004. Traffic is
impossible at rush hour; there are many more signs in English; more shops are
open. And the city has become a military citadel -- the military bases have
grown, security precautions have been ramped up significantly. Parts of the
city look like an expanded bunker.
Troop morale, including among allied forces I spoke to, remains high. There weren't many
among the troops here who heard the speech -- there is a nine and one half (yes, one-half) hour
difference with DC time. All agree, however, that President Obama made the right
decision regarding an additional troop surge. As one officer put it, it was
important that the president supported the commander on the ground, as, it
appears, most troops here do.
But some of those I spoke with, military personnel and police trainers, both Americans
and allies, men and women, are deeply troubled by Obama's announcement that troops would withdraw
by July 2011.
A Canadian and Brit (female) both felt that the announcement could undermine
their mission. A young American soldier (male) could not stop talking about the
negative impact of the announcement. Two American officers, one male and one
female, both agreed that the Taliban now have an incentive to "wait us
out."
I have no doubt that unless the administration clarifies what it means by its
statement regarding withdrawal, the announcement will have a serious, and negative, impact on morale here.
And that would be unfortunate. Our forces, and those of our friends and allies,
do not expect to "transform" this poor backward country. But they are
determined to leave this place only when Afghanistan is safe and stable and not a moment sooner. They need to be reassured that this mission is intact and that their political masters intend to see it through.
MASSOUD HOSSAINI/AFP/Getty Images
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