Last May, after reading about Gen. David Petraeus’s ironclad promise that we could begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan by next year, I said, “Promise or not, I’ll bet that next year, when the drawdown is supposed to start, Petraeus tells us we need to stay.” A month later, after reading Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s comments on problems 
with the Kandahar offensive, I said, “It sure sounds to me as if McChrystal is starting the PR campaign for this now.”
But those were just guesses. Today, McClatchy’s Nancy Youssef says it’s a done deal:
The Obama administration has decided to begin publicly walking away from what it once touted as key deadlines in the war in Afghanistan in an effort to de-emphasize President Barack Obama’s pledge that he’d begin withdrawing U.S. forces in July 2011, administration and military officials have told McClatchy.
….What a year ago had been touted as an extensive December review of the strategy now also will be less expansive and will offer no major changes in strategy, the officials told McClatchy. So far, the U.S. Central Command, the military division that oversees Afghanistan operations, hasn’t submitted any kind of withdrawal order for forces for the July deadline, two of those officials told McClatchy.
….Last week’s midterm elections also have eased pressure on the Obama administration to begin an early withdrawal. Earlier this year, some Democrats in Congress pressed to cut off funding for Afghanistan operations. With Republicans in control of the House of Representatives beginning in January, however, there’ll be less push for a drawdown. The incoming House Armed Services chairman, Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif., told Reuters last week that he opposed setting the date.
Roger that. Apparently Pentagon officials now consider 2014 to be the new 2011. I’m sure that will change sometime around 2013 though.
