President Barack Obama marked a dramatic change in the war in Afghanistan in a major speech Wednesday night. In broad strokes, he laid out the framework for how to wind down the war: by declaring victory and transitioning control to the Afghans in the context of an Afghan-led political reconciliation with the insurgency. "We are meeting our goals," he declared, and -- in a surprising twist -- endorsed a political reconciliation with the Taliban for the first time.

However, what President Obama did not say in his speech is almost as significant as what he did say.

One of the things I've always found most curious about the "war on terror" is how obsessed so many Republicans are with al-Qaeda's psychology. During the Bush administration we were regularly told that insufficient stalwartness on the part of Democrats would "embolden" the terrorists, as though their boldness was really an issue. George W. Bush showed a great concern for demonstrating to terrorists that we were strong and resolute. Understanding their psychology is certainly worthwhile, but the people most interested in it seem to have the most cartoonish ideas about what motivates our enemies. Over at Mother Jones, Siddartha Mananta tells us about Rep.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Alexander Johnson, an incoming platoon leader with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, takes notes while visiting with Afghan farmers and community leaders near Combat Outpost Monti, Afghanistan.

Over at the Atlantic, Daniel Byman and Christine Fair explain that today's brand of terrorist may be even dumber than we realized:

The right has long been hoping for a military confrontation with Iran, which fortunately their leaders have declined to provide thus far. But they've also been extremely critical of Obama's strategy of engagement. In their view, Obama should be doing more saber rattling and offering more public denunciations. Spencer Ackerman reports on what that all that bluster got us during the last administration, according to former Ambassador to Iraq and Pakistan Ryan Crocker:

In Marja, Afghanistan, Marine Col. Randy Newman provides a brief to the Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. George W. Casey Jr. Insurgents remain months after an offensive took place in the region.

(U.S. Army)