War With Deadline

The political echelon of the Obama administration has declared that the war in Afghanistan will end in 2014. The Pentagon struck with a touch of realism terms the date "aspirational". War can not be successfully waged (with a goal of victory) on some artificial, politically-dictated timeline. Total war between a nuclear state and a non-nuclear state or non-state actor can be ended after a grim but sincere ultimatum- "we will subject you to atomic obliteration" at some date certain "if you do not cease hostilities, surrender some block of territory, etc." But that iron-fisted position is far from where the Obama administration is or wishes to take us. Our war-fighting is just the opposite- waging war under the most restrictive rules of engagement US forces have ever been forced to fight under, causing unnecessary American casualties, and ironically Afghan deaths as well as the use of disproportionate force by NATO troops would convey our seriousness and determination and cause the Taliban to capitulate quickly. We have the military means and destructive apparatus to subdue our enemies at much less risk to our own forces but our cowardice of political-correctness forbids US forces from using them even though ultimately their use would facilitate "victory" (which remember is a term in the context of Afghanistan that Barack Hussein Obama refuses to use). In 2014, no matter who is in the White House, combat will still be raging in Afghanistan. If Obama is in office, America will be bled white by attrition, but if a serious leader from another party sits in the Oval Office, the gloves may be removed that have been constraining our effort to win and we may be well on the path to vanquishing the Taliban and al-Qaeda.