OP-ED: Obama Will Change the Game (Sydney Morning Herald, AUSTRALIA)

Kevin Rudd's visit to Afghanistan was long enough for a gift-laden Christmas thank you to the troops - but short enough to avoid addressing Australia's future contribution to a faltering war.

Unlike the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who made a surprise visit to Afghanistan last weekend, Rudd did not meet the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai. And, unlike Brown, Rudd did not come armed with an announcement of an increase in troops.

For now, Australia is exempt from the persistent pressure by the United States on its allies to bolster their commitments. Rudd and the Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon, can fairly argue that Australia is pulling its weight and that European nations should bolster their commitment. They can point to both the size of the deployment - 1000-plus troops - and the growing danger levels of the commitment, as demonstrated by the recent loss of a sixth soldier in less than 18 months.

But from January 20, these arguments may start to crumble.

The inauguration as president of Barack Obama will mark a new level of US commitment to the war.

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