Our Foreign Policy- Six Year Olds Playing Soccer

When my children were learning to play soccer it was fun to watch them. They were nervous and excited when the ball came near them. I was a coach. We taught them the importance of a strategy and the importance of playing their position. They learned to control the ball, kick, pass, score and defend. However, at first, they weren’t very good with strategy or playing position. Most of the kids would follow the ball around the field like a flock of sheep being chased by a dog. It was funny to watch them. As they grew, and became more skilled, they learned the value of playing position, and executing a strategy to move the ball and score. It was gratifying to see them enjoy the game and develop their skills.

Our foreign policy has been slower to mature, and it’s not very gratifying yet. For eight years we’ve been fighting wars- running around the world, chasing the terrorists like six-year-old soccer players. First, we invaded Afghanistan… Then, we drifted away from Afghanistan, and invaded Iraq... Mission accomplished… not quite… Back to Afghanistan… wait, the real threat is in Pakistan… Time out. That’s where we are today.

Back in March, Vice President Biden proposed backing off in Afghanistan and focusing on Pakistan. He said, that’s where Al Qaeda is, go there. President Obama rejected his suggestion, and decided to increase troops in Afghanistan. The Taliban have proven to be much more formidable than expected- surprise, surprise. The military says they’ll need another 40,000 troops, and no guarantee of success. That’s new information. So now the President is reconsidering the strategy. In fairness to the President, he has stated all along that defeating Al Qaeda is his core goal. He is coming to the realization that the Taliban are not Al Qaeda, and defeating Taliban does little to rid the world of that threat.

Better late than never, the President is returning his focus to the core threat- Al Qaeda. However, he has a problem- Pakistan will not allow U.S. troops on their soil. So what happens next? Will the troops stand on the border to block their migration back to Afghanistan while the CIA drops bombs from Predator drones? If Pakistan remains a safe haven for Al Qaeda, does he risk invading Pakistan? That’s the conundrum the President has to sort out, and why a shift in strategy is so dicey.

A less likely strategy is the idea of leaving all together, and shoring up our homeland security against future terrorist attacks. Someday, I think that’s how it will end.