President Barack Obama will unveil his plan for a withdrawal from Afghanistan in a prime-time speech to the nation on Wednesday. Boston University international relations professor William Keylor, author of “A World of Nations: The International Order Since 1945,” offers the following comment:
“Withdrawing military forces at the end of wars in which the enemy has not been defeated is arguably the most difficult mission of all. The dangers of being attacked as the troops depart increases substantially.
“If violence escalates during the draw down, the White House may well be under pressure to hasten the timetable for pulling out altogether.
“This will probably be the greatest security policy challenge that Obama will face, all the more challenging since it will begin in the middle of an election year.”
Contact William Keylor, 617-358-0197, wrkeylor@bu.edu
