President Obama surprise visit to Afghanistan shows resolve

Fresh from his Health Care Reform victory, President Barack Obama has found his sea legs and is apparently intent on keeping his promise of getting the U.S. out of Afghanistan by July 2011. Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan took everyone aback, but it was necessary. All along Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai was identified as the one obstacle to successfully meeting this deadline.

The ability to trust Hamid Karzai has long been an issue in the Afghanistan war political theater. Karsai. Allegations of corruption and narco-terrorism have plagued Karsai's regime, and very nearly cost him the presidency in January of this year.

Still Obama elected to back Karsai and essentially give him another chance. While from all accounts the process of curbing the Taliban has gone well, it was Kasai's recent meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the insults to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates over U.S. war occupation that followed, that raised eyebrows in America.

The Iranian leader Ahmadinejad said "We do not see the presence of foreign military forces in Afghanistan as a solution for peace in Afghanistan." It was unwise for Karzai to so openly meet with Ahmadinejad and not quickly denounce his Anti-Western statements, but Karzai plays fire with American allies. Obama's mission was the right call.