Taliban waits out Obama - Washington Times

The only reason for the drawdown is the arbitrary deadline Mr. Obama set when he announced the Afghan troop buildup over 18 months ago. Perhaps he believed at the time that July 2011 was distant enough that the same dynamics that were seen in Iraq would come into play and the security situation would be under control. This didn’t happen, but even though violence has increased in Afghanistan, Mr. Obama is stubbornly clinging to his original deadline. It’s not a decision based on military necessity but a political face-saving gesture."