By E. Thomas McClanahan, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

President Obama recently received a report from his top general in Afghanistan, Stanley McChrystal, saying we're in danger of losing this war unless more resources -- meaning troops -- are approved.
Suddenly, Obama's statements made as recently as March seem not to apply. That was when Obama announced a new strategy, marking the end of a "careful review." The goal of the new strategy was preventing a return of Taliban rule, which Obama agreed was critical to preventing the country from reverting to an al-Qaida playground.
Obama, like the "Saturday Night Live" character Emily Litella, seems to be saying, "Never mind."
In the face of rising stakes, the president is going wobbly. The strategy approved after "careful review" seems to be out the window. Now he's asking whether we're pursuing the right strategy, as if the strategy approved earlier in the year had never existed.
Naturally, all this is causing consternation in the Pentagon, and no doubt it's sending a troubling message to many Afghans, not to mention Pakistanis. They're being encouraged not to throw in their lot with the fickle United States.
In this way, Obama's dithering could well undermine our interests in those countries. Today's Obama should listen to that earlier Obama, who said, "If the Afghan government falls to the Taliban or allows al-Qaida to go unchallenged, that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can."