After the embarrassing and simply idiotic comments from the former commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, the confirmation hearings for his replacement are speeding through.  Some expect that General Petraeus will be confirmed and in Afghanistan within days.

Despite the speed of the confirmation, that's not the important issue with respect to the proceedings.  The important events revolved around comments made by President Obama while at the G20 in Toronto and comments from General Petraeus during his confirmation hearing.  The President was asked about the stalled progress in Afghanistan and how it would affect the time table to begin pulling troops out of the country by July 2011.  He reiterated what Secretary of Defense Gates had said when the current plan was implemented, that the date was flexible and conditions based.  General Petraeus echoed that sentiment in his testimony  yesterday, saying that there would be a review in a year, but a pullout would be conditions based.

Recent polls show that the majority of Americans would prefer a major pullout in July 2011, but I believe that is short sighted thinking.  The region has never been more important for international security, especially with the very real threat of militants and extremists getting their hands on nuclear weapons in Pakistan.  What we need to focus on is nation building and protecting the Afghan tribes.  If we don't, then the billions of dollars spent and the lives lost will be for nothing and a decade from now when the entire region becomes a haven and training ground for the next generation of extremists, voters will be asking how we could let that happen.  The memory of your average voter is approximately that of a gold fish, especially regarding complex and sometimes boring issues when you're trying to feed your family and find a job.

The argument will always be made one way or the other if we should have gone to war in Afghanistan (I would yes, but it should have been a nation building exercise from day one), but the fact remains that we are in Afghanistan.  The previous administration practically ignored the mission in Afghanistan to focus on a political agenda in Iraq which ultimately cost the United States its credibility, angered its allies, and increased recruitment for extremist organizations around the world.  The Obama administration pledged to refocus on what they determined to be a critical region for security and stability, and it's not going to take a couple of years for success.  Nor will that success come just from the military, as should be obvious from the last nine years, as for the first time there has been an active push from the State Department to find allies on the ground. 

Yes, it's true that Hamid Karzai is a terrible Afghan President, constantly deflecting questions about the numerous allegations of corruption within his administration, but there really isn't anyone better to deal with.  He has said some of the dumbest things imaginable, saying once that he might join the Taliban when criticizing NATO troops for civilian deaths.  But perhaps the steady pressure he's been receiving from the State Department has clued him into the fact that if he wants to retain power he has to start negotiations with rival tribes.  It might not be much, but Karzai has held several talks with insurgent factions recently and held a peace conference in April.  A very different approach for President Karzai who had previously cut out other tribes, refusing to share power or negotiate.

The long and the short of it is that we can't just pick up and come home without being completely irresponsible and the fact is that the draw down date everyone keeps talking about was never a firm date.  It's possible that it was a distraction for the anti-war voters in the U.S., but it's also possible that it was meant to make sure President Karzai got the message that he wouldn't be propped up forever by NATO forces, and if he wanted to have the chance to continue to be President, he would have to start playing nice with the rest of Afghanistan.  Now, the end result won't necessarily look like Utopia, but at the very least we can try to leave the place a little better off than it was when the World Trade Centre was attacked.  That was the point in the first place, to make sure the people of Afghanistan didn't come under the influence of extremist factions once again.  So, give the President the time and chance to let his adopted plan unfold.