Reflections on Afghanistan speech

Since this has generated so much commentary, I am going to outsource my thoughts to Bernard Finel:

…the notion that in 18 months the Afghan government will be capable of ruling the country effectively and fairly is laughable.  The president is buying time, hoping for the best, but all he’s done is ensure we face the same debate again in an even more polarized atmosphere as we approach the 2012 presidential election.