At a Christian Science Monitor talk this afternoon, Mike Huckabee became the most prominent GOP presidential prospect to express significant concern about U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.
"My doubts about Afghanistan happen from being there in January 2006.
And when I say my doubts I believe our military is capable of doing whatever they are assigned to do given the resources to do it. But I came away from that experience wondering: What does the end game look like here? I can't see a conclusion."
Bleakly, he added:
"You go to Afghanistan, you look around and you say, 'My gosh, am I in a country or on the surface of the moon?'
You honestly could not see what it is that can happen here. You can't grow anything but poppies. The cash crop is essentially developing the basis of heroin for Europe... and the government is so incredibly and hopeless corrupt.
Sam Stein notes:
[Huckabee] provided the first definitive hint that the Afghanistan war could become a point of fissure, both within the Republican presidential primary and possibly the general election.
It's a great point, and makes me think of that famous exchange from Bob Woodward's Obama's Wars.
Joe Biden told the POTUS that if he adopted Gen. McChrystal's strategy, he would "own this war." Obama replied: "I already own it."
With the POTUS accepting ownership of the conflict, it gives Republican candidates a chance to attack Obama on another issue. Up until now, there's been near, unanimous agreement among the prospects on his approach to Afghanistan, although many are quick to add that he took too long "dithering" before he announced the troop surge.
But Huck's comments put him to the Left (or is this a left/right issue?) of the major '12 candidates.
I still can't imagine Mitt Romney or Sarah Palin defying foreign policy hawks, but Huck's remarks are certainly a surprise, and I'd guess another sign that he's leaning against a presidential run.
