Again, the tug of global retreat

By nominating a defense secretary committed to shrinking the defense budget and openly entertaining a “zero option” for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, President Obama is sending a message: His promise to refocus on “nation-building at home” was no campaign slogan. He hopes for a second term with diminished foreign entanglement.

His first-term record was mixed on this score. He delivered some inspiring rhetoric on American leadership. In 2009, he decided to ramp up the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. Only eight months ago in Kabul, he celebrated shared U.S.-Afghan commitments “to combat terrorism and strengthen democratic institutions.”