Tom Friedman weighs in today on decision-time in Afghanistan. He argues for a small footprint. Notably, while others see the American super power at sunset, he stands behind the merit of extending Pax Americana but notes that an extended stay in Afghanistan could undermine it. One thinks of what Afghanistan did to the Soviet Union, a very different war but haunting all the same. Friedman:

A strong, healthy and self-confident America is what holds the world together and on a decent path. A weak America would be a disaster for us and the world. China, Russia and Al Qaeda all love the idea of America doing a long, slow bleed in Afghanistan. I don't.

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