The Hill News

President Barack Obama’s speech on Afghanistan earlier this week moved U.S. policy in the right direction through its emphasis on placing more responsibility in Afghan hands and prioritizing a political settlement that includes the Taliban. But it struggled to clarify an implementation plan for achieving U.S. objectives. The transition plan between July 2011 and 2014, when security is handed over to Afghans, continues as two bookends with no content in between, leaving one to wonder whether the plan is to hold our breath until 2014, and hope for the best. 
 
The challenge now is to fill in the detail behind the President’s strategic direction and to put in place the plans, metrics, benchmarks and programs to aggressively pursue a political settlement and to hand this over to Afghans. Currently, there is no detail in all lines of effort between now and 2014.  Basic questions, such as what is the military priority for U.S. and NATO forces in this interven! ing period â€" training Afghan forces, targeting Taliban leaders, or protecting civilian populations from attack - and how the military mission aligns with the larger goal, remain unanswered. 

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