Collegiate Times

Over the course of the past two months Gen. Stanley McChrystal and President Barack Obama have been engaged in a very public stalemate concerning the strategy of the war in Afghanistan. On Aug. 31, McChrystal issued his report to the White House in which he asked for 40,000 additional troops on top of the 68,000 American forces and 100,000 NATO forces already there. As of late September, Obama only had two meetings concerning the recommendation. On the other hand, Obama is also considering the proposal of a strategy that includes more drone attacks and increased Special Forces operations. Reminiscent of the “light footprint” strategy advocated by

Donald Rumsfeld, this is a strategy that McChrystal flatly rejects and one that Vice President Joe Biden supports.

When asked about this strategy in London on Oct. 1, McChrystal plainly said “no” and that “waiting does not prolong a favorable outcome. This effort will not remain winnable indefinitely, and nor will public support,” alluding to the fact that the “light footprint” strategy will take longer to win the war

So this leads to the question of why it is taking Obama so long to make his decision. It is not as if McChrystal woke up one morning and decided he needed 40,000 more troops for the hell of it. His recommendation is based on a very calculated strategy planned by commanders on the ground in Afghanistan and the likes of National Security Advisor Gen. James Jones.

The amount of depth the military goes into to make decisions and plan strategies is astounding, and those in Washington need to take that into perspective. It is not a political game to military commanders; it is their duty and their job to make important and calculated decisions in the best interest of the United States. Unlike politicians, generals do not campaign for their jobs — they work for them.

So does Obama believe that by pushing his decision back the problem in Afghanistan will magically disappear? What is he waiting for? Some in the media have argued he is literally still campaigning and was waiting for certain state gubernatorial elections to end. This may be a little far-fetched, but the possibility should not be ignored completely.

The biggest problem here, however, is Obama’s pledge to win the war in Afghanistan. All throughout his campaign and thus far into his presidency all we have heard is how he will win the war in Afghanistan. If so, wouldn’t that include listening to his military commanders on the ground instead of some random military theory that drone strikes and increased special forces operations will win this war?

While I do not doubt the courage of the brave men in the special forces of the United States, putting tens of thousands of more boots on the ground makes a significant difference on what the other side can and cannot do. It is McChrystal’s job to know what the U.S. needs to win this war. His sole focus is the war on Afghanistan, not on health care, not on abortion, not on oil, not on gun rights, not on gun control, not on crime rates, not on Smart cars — do you see my point?

Obama needs to wake up and make a decision. His honeymoon period is over. He needs to stop making his rounds on late night TV shows and having petty shouting matches with Fox News. He has too many issues he needs to focus on instead of constantly campaigning to bolster his image. It is time for him to stand up and become the president that we elected, not sit around and wait for someone to make the decision for him.