Mikhail Gorbachev advises U.S. troop withdrawal in Afghanistan

As President Obama struggles over the question of additional troop commitments to the war in Afghanistan, Mikhail Gorbachev offers advice that speaks from experience.

The war in Afghanistan is certainly not lacking in advisers. But with U.S. President Barack Obama wrestling over the many questions the difficult Afghan experience is delivering every day, any experienced advice should likely be welcomed. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev may very well offer the most experienced perspective - as the Soviet Union's troops withdrew from Afghanistan under Gorbachev's watch. With coalition casualties in Afghanistan now over 1,500, Mr. Gorbachev's experience could help steer the Obama administration in the right direction. Gorbachev believes that America should begin withdrawing troops immediately. “I believe that there is no prospect of a military solution,” Gorbachev said. “What we need is the reconciliation of Afghan society -- and they should be preparing the ground for withdrawal rather than additional troops.” President Obama is expected to receive four different options on Afghanistan - all of which include troop increases. However, as public opinion in the United Kingdom is turning against the conflict, the U.S. may find themselves alone in Afghanistan.