More from Harman on Afghanistan

Over the weekend, the Washington Post solicited three-paragraph blurbs from various foreign policy experts on what should be done in Afghanistan. One of them was Jane Harman, D-South Bay, who wrote this:

It's too early to abandon a strategy focused on protecting the population and rebuilding the country, a key part of which is Afghan buy-in. We should aim to shrink our ground footprint and focus on training a growing army of willing and courageous Afghans. But without a viable partner, the strategy will fail. That's why I say: "It's the corruption, stupid."

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, is right to focus on better governance as the way to persuade Afghans to side with NATO forces against the Taliban. Major opposition candidates and tribal elders in Kandahar told me in April that the presidential election would be a sham and that people could join the Taliban rather than submit to the corruption of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's cronies. The United States has leverage to demand that the Karzai government clean up its act and submit to a partial or total recount to fix the fraudulent election. Unless and until this happens, Congress shouldn't even be asked about troop levels.

Note that Harman is not repeating her suggestion from last week that more troops be offered in exchange for progress on corruption.

Note also that the call for a recount is new.