The first impression that I had when I read the text of Barack Obama’s address to cadets at West Point was that the “straightforward” Mr Obama had chosen a political path. He served up a palliative for both sides of the domestic political divide on Afghanistan: to those supporting a longer military commitment, he offered an early “surge” of 30,000 troops; and to those demanding a withdrawal, he offered a deadline, starting in July 2011 and finishing in 2012 – elections year.
While that might be the only significance for the American audience, there are other, far more long-lasting implications for those who live in the region.
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