In Afghanistan, the clock is ticking - George F. Will

The ticking clock does not disturb the preternatural serenity that Gen. David H. Petraeus maintains regarding Afghanistan.

Today, however, only about half of the surge of 30,000 troops for Afghanistan, announced by the president in his speech at West Point five months ago, have arrived. The rest will be there by the end of August. Eleven months after that, the withdrawal the president promised -- in the sentence following the one that announced the increase -- is supposed to begin.

Afghanistan's ticking clock
Obama meeting with national security team