Commentary: Obama should get behind the general consensus on Afghanistan

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, President Obama's personal choice to lead U.S. and coalition forces and operations in Afghanistan, has officially made a request for between 30,000 and 40,000 additional troops.

He asserts that without this troop infusion, we run a very real risk of failing to meet our military objectives in Afghanistan, failing to defeat the Taliban and al-Qaida, and ruining the hope of providing a stable enough atmosphere that the Afghan military and police can eventually assume control of their internal security and defend against external threats.

McChrystal is not alone in this request. Gen. David Petraeus, the brilliant architect and manager of the United States' successful "surge" in Iraq who now commands United States Central Command, has attached his name to the growing list of supporters for the troop increase request.

Avoiding failure on this front is a non-negotiable. Such a failure, in both military and political terms, would be catastrophic to American interests at home and abroad.

Such a scenario would likely include a revitalized Taliban and Al Qaeda that are ceded strategic territory in which to thrive, train and plot.

President Obama, it is time to listen to your field generals over liberal Washington politicos, just as you did in February of this year when you approved an initial increase of 21,000 troops.

There is no doubt that sending our brave men and women into harm's way is one of the most difficult decisions a president has to make. No one should criticize the president for taking a few weeks to thoroughly review this latest request - especially in light of our numerous obligations throughout the globe which have stretched our troops and their equipment quite thin recently.

However, in this case, I am concerned that the president is weighing not only the military calculations, but that, due to his political party's internal politics, he is also being forced to weigh the intra-Democratic Party political consequences of his decisions at a time when liberal voters, interest groups and political operations are gearing up for the critical 2010 mid-term elections.

There are no easy decisions when waging a war. Right now though, President Obama has personally talked with McChrystal only once in the 70 days the general has been in command, and I can guess how that stacks up against conversations with his party's vocal left-wing.

There may not be easy decisions, but the best decision our president could make right now is to turn that ratio inside out so that he can start making the right decisions to win this war and bring our troops home with victory.

• Mike Reagan is chairman and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation.