Protecting the Gains in Afghanistan - Wall Street Journal

By most U.S. media accounts, Afghanistan is at best a largely forgotten cause; at worst, lost. Even apart from the recent attacks on Kabul and Taliban gains, costs have been higher and accomplishments less solid than they should have been.

But measured against core standards, the mission is far from a failure. Two imperative goals have been preventing future extremist attacks against the West from Afghan soil and giving Afghans a solid stake in their future so they will not turn again to the Taliban or be vulnerable to a takeover. By both metrics, success is much closer than failure–that is, if we stay the course and avoid a complete departure in two years, as President Barack Obama and the international community intend.

Here is why those plans for premature departure should be revised.  Among the successes achieved since 2001:  Read More at WSJ
The Risks in Focusing on Withdrawal From Afghanistan