Maguire: Might as well settle for Iraq victory alone

Tom Maguire:

I don't know if we can win in Afghanistan in any circumstances, but we absolutely cannot win if the US President is not committed to victory. And Obama is not - he is looking for some magic strategy that doesn't exist and fingering his "WWKD" (What Would Kennedy Do?) bracelet.

So - given the character of our leadership I would follow Tom Friedman, focus on transforming Iraq, and let Afghanistan slide.

Even that won't be easy for Team Obama because it requires a recognition that all his posturing about Iraq as a mistake and Afghanistan as "the good war" was just, well, posturing. On the other hand, a quick concession of quasi-defeat in Afghanistan may embarrass Obama into fighting the war in Iraq we still can win.

Commit to win or stop wasting American lives.

Frank Warner