The war in Afghanistan will continue to soak up more blood and money as administration officials are making several changes to policy for a July 2011 withdrawal, as it came to light that conditions were unlikely for a speedy exit. 

After nine years of fighting, the war in Afghanistan that has cost over $300 billion and caused over 7,000 casualties, will now likely continue for three additional years.  This comes at a time when the U.S. budget is expected to run deficits for several years, even without the cost of foreign wars factored in. 

A McClatchy report claims one official stated it could take “years” to complete a withdrawal, which is in line with a statement from Afghan President Hamid Karzai that security forces will not be self-sufficient until 2014.  This continues a trend of corrupt and inept governance by President Karzai, noted most recently when a New York Times article indicated he has been accepting “bags of cash” from the Iranians for several years. 

“What we ultimately need in Afghanistan is good governance.  Right now there is a gap,” one senior military official said. 

The abandonment of the deadline is expected to allow for greater flexibility in responding to conditions in Afghanistan and to encourage assistance from Pakistan.  The Pakistanis had been pushing for a compromise between the Taliban and Karzai government, but U.S. officials feel this policy change makes assistance toward a military goal more achievable.  Pakistan, a dubious ally, has been accused of sheltering Taliban forces in the past, as well as providing limited aid to NATO forces. 

While NATO air strikes on Taliban holdings have increased, and violence is down, the Taliban sees no need to submit or bargain with a government disliked and universally perceived as ineffective. 

The shift in policy is evident, as the Pentagon has not submitted any withdrawal orders for its forces in order to meet the previous July deadline.  The new timeline is expected to be announced next week at a NATO conference in Lisbon, Portugal. 

Other changes will include a scaled down December assessment of strategy, with no major revisions forthcoming.  Also, a report will be submitted to Congress, but Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S.-led international forces in Afghanistan, will not be present.

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