Key Week Ahead for Obama's Afghanistan Plans

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Afghanistan

(AP)

With the war in Afghanistan about to enter its ninth year, President Obama is embarking on a pivotal week as he attempts to settle on optimal U.S. strategy in Afghanistan going forward.

On Wednesday and Friday, Mr. Obama will meet with his national security team. On top of that, the White House announced today that Mr. Obama will meet with top-ranking members of Congress at the White House to discuss Afghanistan tomorrow afternoon.

The meeting is scheduled for 2:30 pm Eastern Time, CBS News Capitol Hill Producer John Nolen reports.

Expected to attend are Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Republican Leader John Boehner.

Also present will be the chairman and ranking members of the Senate Armed Services, Senate Foreign Relations, House Armed Services, House Foreign Relations committees: Carl Levin, John McCain, John Kerry, Richard Lugar, Ike Skelton, Buck McKeon, Howard Berman and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

Meanwhile, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs reiterated Monday that the Obama administration currently has no plans to fully withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

"I don't think we have the option to leave," Gibbs told reporters. "I think that's -- that's quite clear."

Gen. Stanly McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, has been publicly pressing for as many as 40,000 more U.S. troops. Some administration officials, meanwhile – including, reportedly, Vice President Joe Biden – have been pushing for a targeted counterinsurgency against al Qaeda that would not require a troop surge and would focus more on Pakistan.

McChrystal's public push for more troops has caused some consternation; National security adviser James L. Jones, in a criticism of the commander for his outspoken advocacy for a troop surge, said Sunday that "it is better for military advice to come up through the chain of command."

McChrystal has called a strategy other than the one he advocates "short-sighted" and suggested it will lead to mission failure. He and other leaders believe the best way forward is to make securing the Afghan civilian population a primary focus.

Today, however, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the military will fall in line with whatever the president decides.

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Coming up on the "CBS Evening News": Afghanistan: The Road Ahead, a 3-part, in-depth examination of the escalating conflict, airing Oct. 5-7, 6:30 p.m. ET.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Afghanistan

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by Aldymac October 6, 2009 6:10 AM EDT: Obama and the democrats are more interested in disarming the American people by hiding the legislation in bills they pass without reading, then they are in winning any war anywhere else in the world. This country is he only place they want to completely take over.
Either hide and watch, or work to stop them, it's our freedom that is on the line.
If we can't protect our freedom at home while our boys and girls are fighting elsewhere, what will they have to come home to?; Reply to this comment


by bailey216 October 6, 2009 12:12 AM EDT: My son is a Major in the Marines and will possibly be sent to afghanistan next year. He spent 13 months in Iraq. What do you say to me?I dont like wars. But if he is to go I want more troops sent also so those that are there have a better change of surving. So what can you say to me? How am I suppost to feel?; Reply to this comment


by wdh3007 October 5, 2009 6:59 PM EDT: "White House spokesmouth Robert Gibbs reiterated Monday that the Obama administration currently has no plans to fully withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan". -Same Bush policies different fraud in chief; Reply to this comment


by Dr Newel October 5, 2009 6:45 PM EDT: As a student of history, and the revolutionary war I remember reading about the British marching in to the colonies in Red Coats expecting a war on the battle field of honor. What they got were the prior U.S. Militia dressed in buckskins, and home made knives. I draw the similarities to us and the British. The easiest way to eliminate the Taliban once and for all, immediately is to bulldoze the Opium crops unless of course the military are the ones now importing the product. It isn't hard to draw the conclusionn that there are dark forces in the U.S. Military that are there for one purpose - to take over the Opium crop instead of destroying it. Every news segemnt about the place has pictures of miles and miles of Opium crops - why can't they do the same as with the Leaf in California. They should start growing Corn.; Reply to this comment


by wheresmycountry October 5, 2009 6:45 PM EDT: I voted for Obama because I wanted him to end the wars. It was the same for a huge percentage of us. Problem is, there's no money and power in it for him or the members of congress to end the war.

Now we need to unite against the wars. It's not on Bush any more. Bush started the wars, but he's out of office.

Hippies can stand with vets, white supremacists, birthers, and tea partyers. Let's end these ridiculous wars and start protecting our borders.; Reply to this comment


by chelokee October 5, 2009 6:34 PM EDT: I support the U.S. and everything our President does. I hate terrorism and those freakin cowardly terrorists. Those terrorists are yellow, no-good, stinkin, skunky, yellow-bellie, sissy's. Saddam was a yellow coward sissy and that Osama Sissy Bin Laden is a yellow coward sissy. When we catch that yellow coward Osama Sissy Bin Laden, we need to put a nice pink dress on him because of the sissy he is. He runs and hides while his filthy stinkin evil henchmen fight. Osama sissy Bin Laden is a yellow coward. You hear that Bin Laden? You are a SISSY COWARD! That pink dress is a waitin. When we catch you, we gunna put that pretty pink dress on ya and we gunna laugh our pituties off! You are probably hiding down a rat hole just like your cowardly buddy Saddam Insane did. You and Saddam Insane were loser buddies and you were both freakin sissy cowards. Thank god we have our brave U.S. service men and women to fight your evil army. We are very proud of our fighting forces, they are so brave and courageous. Courage is a word that does not apply to you sissy Bin Laden. Saddam Insane was a coward and so are you sissy Bin Laden. I hope you both rot in hell.; Reply to this comment

by keiransharp October 5, 2009 6:09 PM EDT

England here . maybe too simple .afghans cannot fight full on fight .so roadside bombs work very well . bombs are cheap to make . funds for bombs are from the poppies . the poppies are killing our children back at home ,so we are funding our own troops being killed .SO...lets give poppy growing areas ,say 3 days to evacuate .then napalm the lot .then send in troops to ensure area safe . then use funds to get farmers to grow new crops in a safe enviroment . save our troops .heroes all .

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by nextgenman09 October 5, 2009 6:12 PM EDT: Interesting concept except:

Can't locate all the poppy fields (try finding all the maryjane fields)
Napalm leaves a serious residue.
We don't have enough troops as it is (maybe the UK could help).
We tried paying farmers before only to find there was no market for what we wanted them to grow.


by decotoguy October 5, 2009 6:04 PM EDT: Yes,my I suggest to allow any Knuckle-head that feels that Presdent Obama
is not reacting or hasen't bow down far enough for these Generals
that live and breath for WAR.The U.S.Military has alreadry demonstrated
loss of sensibility by KILLING it's OWN .The Generals keeps everything classified because they could,there no journalist in America anymore.In Vietnam we did it,and it was reported on the evening news.shame on bush for falling in to this trap,and shame on the Military for allowing it to continue.Good luck folks.; Reply to this comment

by ludvig1-2009 October 5, 2009 6:00 PM EDT

Now that the Pakistanis have kicked them out into Afghanistan where the 8 soldiers died in the attack, it's time for a B-52 raid on that village and mosque that the Taliban poured out of. They sure and hell shouldn't be pulling out of that region, they should go kick their butt before there's another New York type incident.

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by nextgenman09 October 5, 2009 6:02 PM EDT: Another Budweiser-induced non-suggestion. Lookinn to relive Vietnam are we there Jimmy JoBob?


by themooniac October 5, 2009 5:58 PM EDT: Whatever General Petraues decides is good enough for me. The guy has eevry hard core miltary school tab, Ranger tab, Air Assualt, combat Infantry badge, decks of medals plus a fellowship from Georgetown and a PHD from Princeton. I am a Dem and a vet but can we really compare Joe Biden's opinion to Petraues'? Come on. Love ya Joe, sorry...; Reply to this comment