David Petraeus: GOP's 2012 Dark Horse

He finally rejects misguided 'bigger is better' Afghan strategy: Steve Clemons

(NEWSER) - President Obama's decision to bring home 30,000 troops by the end of next year isn't getting much praise, writes Steve Clemons at the Atlantic . Critics think it's either too much too fast or too little too slow. But Obama and Joe Biden "have it just right—and have achieved something very important in the political battle over America's Afghanistan adventure," asserts Clemons. They have finally "broken the back" of the misguided doctrine that "ever larger numbers of deployed troops equal ever large security" gains. More»

Pawlenty, Romney hawkish as Huntsman calls for faster withdrawal

(NEWSER) - The withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan could become a major bone of contention among the GOP's 2012 hopefuls, judging by their differing responses to President Obama's speech outlining the US drawdown.

• Tim Pawlenty took the most hawkish position, calling the decision to bring all the surge forces home by the end of next summer a "grave mistake." "Look how he phrased the outcome of this war: He said we need to end the war 'responsibly,'" Pawlenty told Bill O'Reilly. "When America goes to war, America needs to win. We need to close out the war successfully."

That's faster than the military would like in Afghanistan

(NEWSER) - A few hours ahead of President Obama's prime-time address on Afghanistan, administration officials are leaking some main points to the AP , Washington Post , and the New York Times :

• Obama will bring home 10,000 troops this year and another 20,000 or so by the end of next summer.
• Those combined withdrawals will effectively mean the return home of all the "surge" troops Obama sent to Afghanistan in 2009. Another 70,000 US troops would remain in the country heading into 2013.

Military pushes for slow withdrawal as Obama weighs next move

(NEWSER) - The military has called on President Obama to keep the Afghanistan troop surge in place until the fall of next year, ensuring that many of the 33,000 extra troops remain in the country for the next two fighting seasons, when the weather is warm. The military wants to avoid a 2012 scenario in which it loses large numbers of troops just as militants are becoming most active, the Wall Street Journal reports. The move would come with a political perk for Obama: Many troops would be coming home just before the 2012 election. More»

But Gates, Petraeus point to risks

(NEWSER) - With Osama bin Laden dead and war costs increasing, the Obama administration is weighing a sharper drawdown of troops from Afghanistan than it had planned, the New York Times reports. But the issue is still very much up in the air, and outgoing defense secretary Robert Gates advocates slower steps. “I would try to maximize my combat capability as long as this process goes on—I think that’s a no-brainer,” he said. “I’d opt to keep the shooters and take the support out first.” More»