what if you held a war and nobody came?

The war hawks are already wringing their wings.

WASHINGTON — On Afghanistan’s battlefields, the most significant effect of President Obama’s latest orders will be felt at this time next year, when as many as 23,000 American troops who would have been on missions at the peak of the summer fighting season will instead be packing for home.

Saving the lives of many American soldiers and Afghani civilians, doubtless.

...This will make it more difficult, if not impossible, for commanders to carry out one of the military’s major goals for next year.

Senior officers said their military campaign plan for 2012 envisioned building on security gains earned by troops who had already flowed into Afghanistan’s south and southwest, with plans to turn some of those areas over to local forces. This would have freed American troops to pivot toward the fight in the volatile east, along the vulnerable border with Pakistan...

You know, along the border with our enemy ally Pakistan.

The Pentagon- and all its contractors- envisioned a rolling Endless War Surge, while the Laureate makes a minor- but commendable- move towards what he actually got the Prize for (not to mention elected to do for us).