The Warrior Obama

Previously, I wrote about the Obama administration's position regarding prisoners held in Bagram. Obama is prepared to substantially increase American troop strength in Afghanistan with a concomitant draw down in Iraq. Now readthis article, which indicates that Obama might be widening the scope of US Predator attacks and covert operations against Al Qeada and Taliban forces in Pakistan.

Throughout his campaign Obama stated that the war in Iraq took our eye off the prize in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the real center of Al Qeada and its threat to the United States.

Obama seems to be concentrating efforts on the real bad guys now. Will he press the attack? Will he risk Pakistani objections to American incursions into Pakistani territory in order to kill Al Qeada and Taliban? Will he send covert ground forces into Pakistan?

Pakistan is a dangerous enigma. It allows Al Qaeda and the Taliban to take control of the province of Swat. It withdraws its troops from a battle against the militants. Its intelligence agency, ISI, plays all sides simultaneously (and was it involved in the Mumbai terrorist attack?).

How will Obama make his bones as commander in chief in this battle? Will be be a leftist warrior? Obama has some complicated political calculations to consider. He always said he would withdraw from Iraq and his leftist supporters cheered. Will they still cheer his beefed up military effort in Afghanistan/Pakistan or will they turn on him in short order? And if they attack him on his military stance in the subcontinent, will he deplete his political power at home to the extent that his domestic program grinds to a halt?

Just asking.