Clinton Softens Up World For More Failure In Afghanistan

BERLIN — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned NATO allies on Thursday against bringing forces home from Afghanistan too soon, even as the United States prepares to begin drawing down its forces in July. Clinton said the Taliban will be watching what the alliance does in the coming months and that speedy reductions will hurt the fragile security gains the alliance claims. The United States is worried that pressure will grow within the alliance to match U.S. withdrawals and answer rising discontent with the war in Europe.Clinton told NATO foreign ministers that an exodus of other forces would make it appear to the Taliban that withdrawals were a sign of alliance weakness and defeat. The U.S. and its NATO partners cast the planned reductions as a mark of success and the beginning of a transition to Afghan control that would allow all foreign forces to leave eventually.NATO has invested too much to risk that perception, she said. "We need to ensure that these sacrifices are not overtaken by political expediency and short-term thinking," Clinton said. "We need to worry less about how fast we can leave and more about how we can help the Afghan people build on the gains of the past 15 months. Even as we move toward Afghan lead in areas where conditions warrant transition, we must retain forces where our commanders need them and reinvest personnel with ISAF's guidance. To do this once, we have to do it right."

Clinton's statement, in more detail here, is full of howlers. I have highlighted just one or two above.