Afghanistan Requires Some Careful Decisions

Afghanistan represents a particularly complex challenge. There is a pro forma central government, but no effective national authority. Real government is in the hands of local warlords, based on ethnic identity, practical effectiveness and personal respect.

The White House policy review has been sparked by steady deterioration in Afghan security, but not urgent crisis. The Kabul government does not face imminent collapse. Moreover, sustained criticism from American and other U.N. and NATO nations of President Hamid Karzai for corruption related to drug trafficking and election chicanery puts a premium on treading carefully.

Obama, no Hamlet, has already lined up NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to press partners to increase troop commitments. On his just-concluded state visit to Washington, India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh formally agreed to help in Afghanistan, a major victory given India's traditional neutralism and past frictions with the U.S.