US Pulling Troops out of Afghanistan

While different Canadian politicians, pundits and bloggers argue about the best course for Canada in Afghanistan, noting how overstretched our military is and how other allies are less than willing to boost their commitments - all against the backdrop of Foreign Affairs minister Peter MacKay doing a Good News™ trip in the region to justify our continued presence there - the US is pulling out some of its troops in preparation for Bush's misguided surge in Iraq:

President Bush is expected to announce this week the dispatch of thousands of additional troops to Iraq as a stopgap measure. Such an order, Pentagon officials say, would strain the Army and Marine Corps as they man both wars.

A US Army battalion fighting in a critical area of eastern Afghanistan is due to be withdrawn within weeks to deploy to Iraq.

Army Brigadier General Anthony J. Tata and other US commanders say that will happen as the Taliban is expected to unleash a campaign to cut the vital road between Kabul and Kandahar.

The official said the Taliban intend to seize Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city, where the group was organized in the 1990s.

"We anticipate significant events there next spring," Tata said.

[...]
Rather than withdrawing to regroup over the winter, intelligence officials and combat commanders said, the Taliban forces -- clad in new cold-weather boots and fleece jackets -- are fighting through the bitter cold months.

"It is bleak," said Colonel Chris Haas, commander of the Joint Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan.

Conway said US commanders understand that the Afghan war is an "economy of force" operation, a military term for a mission that is given minimal resources because it is a secondary priority, in this case behind Iraq.

So, tell me again why Canada should feel a stronger commitment to the war in Afghanistan than the US does?

Bush's proposed surge strategy in Iraq is doomed to failure and everyone will end up paying for it: US troops, Iraqi civilians and now those of us left in Afghanistan - that "secondary priority" war. Meanwhile, the Democrats are basically powerless to stop Bush since they are only left with the power of the purse and, although they've been making a lot of noise, there is no doubt this president will just do what he wants to regardless of the pressure or the consequences. He has nothing left to lose.

Related: TPMmuckracker has video of John Murtha on Hardball stating that some Democrats' refusal to use the power of the purse to pull funding for the Iraq war is 'all political'.