McChrystal Tells Afghans No Early US Exit

By Steve Hynd

General Stan McChrystal is signalling to the Afghan leadership that Obama's 2011 "beginning of the end" is just a number they shouldn't take seriously.

The top US military commander in Afghanistan has met senior politicians there as part of a charm offensive to sell Barack Obama’s new strategy.

General Stanley McChrystal hopes to reassure wary Afghans that the country won’t be abandoned and that Washington’s commitment is long-term. “By this time next year, one year from now, I believe I will be able to tell you that the strategy is clearly working, and will be successful,” said McChrystal, who commands US and NATO forces in the country. He said the focus was on helping the Afghan people build enough capacity to provide security themselves. Afghan Member of Parliament Daud Sultanzoi seemed encouraged. “This is a long term partnership that Afghanistan and the international community and the United States will enjoy until everything is resolved and until Afghanistan enjoys its desired stability,” he said.

If the U.S. is going to be there "until Afghanistan enjoys its desired stability" then it's going to be there a very long time indeed.

But McChrystal is only following his own bosses. Gates and Mullen have already added a Friedman Unit to Obama's July 2011 date and added another 3,000 troops to the number Obama announced. Afghanistan may not be Vietnam - but the political manouverings of escalation still look very much the same.