The Battle is Changing

The speculation as to how the coming Obama administration will handle the defense against Islamic terror is going official. The Washington Post published an article written by Karen De Young entitled “Obama to Explore New Approach in Afghanistan War”. It starts out:

The incoming Obama administration plans to explore a more regional strategy to
the war in Afghanistan -- including possible talks with Iran -- and looks
favorably on the nascent dialogue between the Afghan government and
"reconcilable" elements of the Taliban, according to Obama national security advisers.

From what Obama sources say (who refuse to be identified) focus will be on Afghanistan and away from Iraq. Obama is dead set on getting out of Iraq ASAP. Part of the focus looks like will be to include the Taliban in the Afghan government. Taliban is the faction that ruled Afghanistan with an iron Sharia fist, where the people were not allowed radios, television, playing of music, women getting educated, and murders were sanctioned. They plunged the country into the 7th century.

The focus will narrow primarily on bin Laden. This suggests to me that if he is caught or killed, the Obama administration consider that the end to the campaign on Terror. This does not set well with U.S. military. The article goes on:

Obama, advisers said, plans to intensify the U.S. military and intelligence
focus on al-Qaeda and bin Laden. Intelligence officials say the search is
already as intensive as ever, even as they emphasize that the decentralized
al-Qaeda network would remain a threat without him.

NATO politics (whining) is expressed as the article continues:

Some NATO military officials said enhanced U.S. leadership would be welcome, as
long as it was not seen as a "takeover bid," said one senior European officer
whose country has troops fighting as part of the NATO coalition in Afghanistan.
While the U.S. military has long criticized some NATO members for lacking combat
zeal and expertise in Afghanistan, many European officers resent what they see
as U.S. arrogance.

The NATO officer suggested that Obama, whose election was greeted with wide approval in Europe, may have more success than Bush in persuading other alliance members to increase their fighting forces in Afghanistan. "I think you'll find the new president would then be able to persuade a number of European nations who have not liked this administration's way of doing business to come in behind them," he said.

International military politics has hampered every war effort the U.S. has been involved. In WW I the humiliation of Germany and the cutting up of the spoils of war left many nations very bitter. WW II was a constant battle of who will be in charge and almost cost the allies to lose and at the end left the world divided between western powers and the Soviet Union. The world was under a constant threat of nuclear destruction.

The result of political bickering in this conflict will most assuredly leave the world under more threats. A pull out form Iraq and secession of the battle after the capture or death of bin Laden will plunge Afghanistan and Pakistan into Islamic Sharia rule, empower Iran, jeopardize the sovereignty (existence) of Israel, and leave the world at risk of an Islamic predominance.