It is really easy to find fault with Pres. Obama's Afghanistan policy. The good options for dealing with Afghanistan, to the extent they ever existed, were squandered by Bush years ago. Any possible choice for proceeding in Afghanistan is fraught with peril.
As far as I can tell, there are three basic paths forward: escalate, maintain or draw down.
I think most of us can agree that maintaing the status quo is not an appealing option. We're told, and I see no reason not to believe, that the status quo is that as we continue to pour resources into Afghanistan, the situation steadily deteriorates. So, I think its pretty clear that change is called for.
President Obama explained last night why he is choosing to escalate and how he intends to implement that escalation. If you disagree with the President, what, specifically do you think he should do?
How rapidly and completely should he withdraw the troops?
What sort of assistance should be offered to the Afghan people?
If you believed the most likely outcome of withdrawal was that the Taliban forces in the mountains of Pakistan would invade and exact revenge on every man woman & child they had reason to believe had so much as smiled at an American soldier and that by July 2011 10's of 1000's more Afghani's would be dead than if you had remained, would you still support withdrawal?