The Afghan Turning Point

In princple, the Afghanistan peace accords constitute a good omen for a May Summit. That is, if you think Summits are Good Things. (If you don’t, for “good,” read “bad.”)

In strategic and historical terms, Mikhail Gorbachev’s decision to pull the Soviet forces out of their Afghan quagmire constitutes a major reverse for the October Revolution, comparable to the American decision to withdraw from Vietnam in 1973. In each case, the superpower involved tacitly conceded defeat.