You would think that Obama and Biden would have learned their lessons when they opposed the “surge” in Iraq and called for an immediate withdrawal of troops as senators and as candidates for president. They were clearly wrong and were making pronouncements that their base wanted to hear, instead of supporting what was the right thing to do. Pandering to your base and announcing in advance significant reductions in forces in Afghanistan will only embolden our enemies and put our remaining troops there in greater danger.

The troops should come home not on some arbitrary timeline created for political fodder. The commander in chief should listen to the generals and experts on the ground before making decisions that could make America and the region less safe and secure for many years to come.

Bradley A. Blakeman served as deputy assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001-04. He is currently a professor of Politics and Public Policy at Georgetown University and a frequent contributor to the Fox Forum.