Afghan Army recruitsFrom Time Magazine:
President Obama's plain-speaking Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, on Nov. 12 summed up the Administration's Afghan dilemma in a single question: "How do we signal resolve and at the same time signal to the Afghans and the American people that this is not open-ended?" The fact that there's no good answer explains the Administration's hesitation in committing more troops to the fight. Indeed, the objectives cited by Gates may function at cross-purposes.
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My Comment: During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the Afghan army and police forces numbered almost 400,000. But when the Soviet army left, desertion and successful Taliban attacks decimated these forces within two years.
I expect the same with present day Afghanistan. To mentor and buildup Afghanistan forces will take a decade or two .... and tens of billions of dollars. Will President Obama and Congress agree to such a commitment .... I doubt it.