Obama’s visit to Afghanistan a prelude to a major offensive

Commanders from the United States and NATO are preparing to launch an offensive in Kandahar, home of the Taliban when the Islamic extremists ruled Afghanistan for five years beginning in 1996, that could well define the future of that war-torn nation.

Taking control of Kandahar would not only be a crippling blow to the Taliban, but would turn the tide of the war that began shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on America’s homeland. The offensive to begin in the next several months will involve 8,500 American troops, 3,000 Canadians and 12,000 Afghan soldiers and police.

According to Reuters India, a mainly Canadian force has operated in Kandahar province for four years, suffering high casualties but lacking the manpower to secure the large city and its outskirts. As a result, the Taliban’s influence has grown rapidly, and militants are now stronger in the province than at any time since they were driven from power, Reuters reports.

Given the high stakes, President Obama’s surprise visit to Afghanistan, his first since taking office in January 2009, was both timely and necessary. He flew into Kabul on Sunday, addressed the troops for 20 minutes at Bagram Air Base, and had a heart-to-heart talk with President Hamid Karzai about his government’s failure to deal with the rampant corruption.

“There are going to be setbacks,” the president told the soldiers. “We face a determined enemy, But we also know this: The United States of America does not quit once it starts something.”

And he added, “Your services are absolutely necessary, absolutely essential to America’s safety and security. The folks back home are relying on you.”

Troop morale is high, not only because Obama has ordered the deployment of 30,000 more American troops into the war zone, but because of the success of the recent military campaign in Helmand province, one of the key opium producing regions of Afghanistan.

The latest public opinion polls show growing support in this country for Obama’s handling of the war in Afghanistan, despite the fact that 77 American servicemen have been killed this year. That’s more than twice the number killed in the first three months of 2009.

However, the public is willing to give the president its support so long as it can be shown that progress is being made to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban militants and their al-Qaida allies.

It is also important for President Karzai to understand that the corruption within his government will not be tolerated by the American taxpayers. That message was delivered to him clearly by Obama when they met in Kabul.

Political stature

Although he was careful not to publicly berate his counterpart, other administration officials made it clear that rampant corruption has undermined Karzai’s political stature.

“[Karzai] needs to be seized with how important that is,” said Jim Jones, Obama’s national security adviser. Jones also said Obama stressed to the Afghan leader the need to take on the dominant opium trade.

Karzai is to visit Washington on May 12. At the beginning of May, he is to hold peace talks with Taliban leaders who have expressed a willingness to lay down their arms and join in the rebuilding of the nation.

The timing might work to his advantage because the offensive in Kandahar would be underway.

However, Taliban leaders must be viewed with suspicion, given their unwillingness to recognize the democratically elected government in Kabul.

The extremists want to return Afghanistan to the era of Islamic law.