Former British Army Gen. Dannatt Chief fears Caliphate
After three months of waiting and debating, President Obama finally announced his conclusions on Tuesday about the future of the campaign in Afghanistan. It is the positive response that those of us who believe in the importance of the Afghan campaign had been hoping for, sending the unambiguous message that the West sees success in Afghanistan as the highest security priority for our fractured international society.
For those who are brave enough to acknowledge it, the Islamists' long-term objective is clear, although deliberately understated: the restoration of the historic Islamic caliphate, running through South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and up through south and south-east Europe. The problem is that it is not time-dependent: they are prepared to follow a timetable far longer than those in liberal democracies can accept.
