Obama to reject Afghan war options: report
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 | 9:39 PM ET
The Associated Press
President Barack Obama does not plan to accept any of the Afghanistan war options presented by his national security team, according to officials close to him.
The president will push instead for revisions to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility to the Afghan government, a senior administration official said Wednesday.
That push follows strong reservations about a possible troop buildup expressed by the U.S. ambassador in Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, according to a second top administration official.
In strongly worded classified cables to Washington, Eikenberry said he had misgivings about sending in new troops while there are still so many questions about the leadership of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Obama is still close to announcing his revamped war strategy — most likely shortly after he returns from a trip to Asia that ends on Nov. 19.
At issue is whether U.S. forces should continue to focus on fighting the Taliban and securing the Afghan population, or shift to more narrowly targeting al-Qaeda militants believed to be hiding in Pakistan, using unmanned spy planes and covert operations to kill them.
The president raised questions at a war council meeting Wednesday that could alter the dynamic of both how many additional troops are sent to Afghanistan and what the timeline would be for their presence in the war zone.
All the officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
