Dithering? Oh, C'mon

If you are about to step into a busy street and look both ways, this is called prudence, not dithering. Your mother got it right.

President Barack Obama's calculation on the continued U.S. role in Afghanistan amounts to looking both ways. As opposed, say, to stepping off the curb cluelessly. Iraq comes to mind.

We understand the passions generated because U.S. service members are currently in harm's way in Afghanistan — are already in the middle of the street. But proper deliberation should include weighing whether they should continue to be there and, if they shouldn't be because of murky or unattainable goals, whether it makes sense to add to their numbers.

Proper deliberation would insist that any plan include an exit strategy.

In September, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, requested up to 40,000 more troops. It's now November. OK, but why pretend that the rationale for a continued U.S. role in Afghanistan and identifying clear attainable goals in that troubled part of the world is anything but complex?

And there's a reason that this country relies on civilian control of the military.

As the country has learned the hard way, simply saluting the desires of generals without rigorous examination and ignoring public sentiments and doubts about any war effort has serious risks.

There should be no eagerness to go down that road again.

Obama's reported rejection of advisers' plans because they didn't include an exit strategy is the kind of deliberation for which he was elected. In a hurry? If the president makes the call, as expected, for at least some additional troops, senior military officials note that additional forces couldn't begin flowing into Afghanistan until early next year.

In any case, the nation should be dubious of any U.S. "surge" in Afghanistan. It should be alarmed about the doubts of the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan regarding the corrupt Afghan government and should be cognizant of the real possibility that we are viewed by Afghans more as occupiers than saviors.

Whatever Obama decides, we await his rationale. But dithering? No, it's called deliberation, and it's about time.

REPRINTED FROM THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL.

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