When NATO agrees on its latest strategy for the war in Afghanistan, French Defense Minister Herve Morin believes that they should set a specific timetable for its goals and for the “start of the withdrawal of alliance forces.”
Over seven years into the war, the international commitment seems open-ended, and with forces rapidly losing ground to the insurgency accomplishing any goals, let alone setting dates from them seems to be taking a back seat on most agendas to simply keeping the Taliban from reasserting control over most of the country.
But as the Obama Administration escalates the fight with a growing number of troops, patience in Europe for the never-ending conflict seems to be waning. Polls have shown growing public opposition to the war, and as governments try to placate a disgruntled electorate over the sagging world economy, the conflict may increasingly become something officials decide they can’t politically afford.