From Eric Dondero:

Pro-Defense libertarian Ayaan Hirsi Ali from her column in the Christian Science Monitor, "Obama’s Afghanistan withdrawal: another sign of America's decline?" June 27

Many in the US and around the world wonder if Obama’s speech – and the broad bipartisan support for it – is yet another sign of America’s decline. American power and weakness is often a matter of perception.

From the Taliban’s perspective, the withdrawal is a sign of US weakness and their impending victory. Not only the Taliban will see it this way: Iran and Syria’s regimes and the malignant units in the Pakistani military and secret service see a weak America that roars but retreats when the going gets tough. The short-term benefits of abandoning counterinsurgency may be politically appealing. The long-term costs may be greater than Obama anticipates.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Foundation for Human Rights - AHA