Bloomberg View: Speeding the Pullout from Afghanistan; No Band-Aids for U.S. Schools

On Feb. 15, Afghans marked Liberation Day, the 23rd anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. Recent developments are hastening another liberation—that of the U.S. from Afghanistan.

France’s surprise announcement on Jan. 27 that its troops would move from combat to training roles this March and withdraw by the end of 2013 has had a catalyzing effect. Days later, U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said U.S. troops would be in a “training, advise, and assist role” by “the mid- to latter part of 2013.” Meanwhile, the U.S., the Taliban, and the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai have stepped up their awkward pas de trois over direct peace negotiations. If all goes well, the U.S. hopes that such talks will be under way in time for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Chicago this May, when members of the coalition will discuss the future of the military mission in Afghanistan.