First Victory in Waris Deceptive

The United States wants one thing specifically in Afghanistan — a retreat. The announcement of the withdrawal alone, however, gives the war another psychology.

Nothing is more deceptive than the first victory in a long war. After the al-Qaida attack on the U.S., this was the case with the West in Afghanistan during the autumn of 2001. Since that time, the American and ISAF allies have won all of the encounters.

The speech, however, is not about triumph. With the requested retreat date set for 2014, an endgame is still not in sight after 10 years. The situation in the war-torn country is beyond an authentic assessment. It is obvious that the Americans prefer to come home sooner rather than later.

Yet the announcement of the withdrawal gives the war an alternate psychology and different dynamics. Who can say if the Taliban have actually been defeated, and are not just melting into the countryside and biding their time until the Stars and Stripes are folded up?

Now that it is the most dangerous country in the world, the relationship to Pakistan is unclear. It seems that Afghanistan has not won in Pakistan, but has perhaps lost.