Pres. Hamlet Must Send in His Troops

It’s time for Democrats, particularly President Obama, to get serious about the war in Afghanistan, writes Charles Krauthammer. From John Kerry on, Democrats have campaigned on the cynical political calculation that Afghanistan was the “good war.” But now that it’s time to send troops into that “good war,” Obama’s lost his nerve, saying he needs to decide on a strategy.

On March 27, Obama announced “a new comprehensive strategy” that “marks the conclusion of a careful policy review.” He installed a handpicked commander, Stanley McChrystal. Now, McChrystal’s asking for more troops for a counterinsurgency campaign, but Obama’s considering Joe Biden’s low-footprint counterterrorism strategy instead, Krauthammer writes for the Washington Post. The irony? McChrystal’s a renowned counterterrorism expert, and he doesn’t think it’s a good idea. “Whose recommendation would you rely on?” (More Stanley McChrystal stories.)