Of all the members of President Obama’s new national security team, the toughest assignment may belong to Lt. Gen. John R. Allen, tapped as the fourth commander in two years to run the war in Afghanistan.
In the coming days, Obama is expected to make a key strategic decision on how many troops the United States can afford to withdraw without giving ground to the Taliban. To execute that high-stakes plan, he’ll turn to Allen, 57, a low-profile Marine with no Afghan fighting experience, but a reputation as a military turnaround specialist.
Slotted to replace Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, Allen has served in relative public obscurity for the past three years as deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla.
Full Story: Allen’s road in Afghanistan won’t be an easy one – The Washington Post