Danger in US 'wait and see' Afghan stance

Danger in US 'wait and see' Afghan stance

For a top priority, the Obama administration is sure taking its time firming up its policy on Afghanistan.

In March, a plan to win the war in the country by battling for the hearts and minds of the people of Afghanistan was announced.

In September, a request for more troops by General Stanley McCrystal, Obama's commander in Afghanistan, was leaked to the media and discussions are continuing.

Now, White House officials seem to be ruling out sending more troops until the Afghan presidential election has been resolved.

A point emphasised by the White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs on Monday:

"All troops in the world will not solve a problem without a partner that is there ultimately to help. It's not just a military problem - there's a civilian and economic development side to this."

The US state department also denied that a potential presidential election run-off would backfire on the Obama administration by slowing its troop level decision-making process.

Spokesperson Ian Kelly told Al Jazeera:

“We need to support this process that's occurring now and this process is being carried out according to Afghan law and the Afghan constitution."

International observers have called for an election run-off in Afghanistan after a UN-backed fraud watchdog on Monday invalidated tens of thousands of votes for Hamid Karzai.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also linked future US policy in Afghanistan to a credible election outcome in Kabul. She told reporters:

"I am very hopeful that we will see a resolution in line with the constitutional order in the next several days."

So the US administration is quite clearly on the same page regarding Afghanistan - "wait until the election is sorted out" - but analysts say that there are dangers lurking if it all takes too long.

Obama supporters called it prudent thinking, but critics are likely to use it to amplify their argument that the president is dithering while US troops are in danger in Afghanistan.