Brown Goes Wobbly on Afghanistan

In times of war it is not uncommon for politicians and military commanders to have sharp differences of opinion over how best to achieve victory. During World War II Winston Churchill clashed repeatedly with his senior commanders over strategy for defeating Nazi Germany.

Today, another British prime minister wrestles with a difficult war. But unlike Churchill, Gordon Brown does not seem clear on what kind of victory in Afghanistan he wants, or even if success is worth the price of continued war. In an echo of the heated policy debate in Washington, the argument over whether or not to deploy more troops in the campaign to defeat the Taliban has created an acrimonious rift between the U.K. premier and his senior military officers.