Obama Gives Order to Implement Afghanistan Decision

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Afghanistan

(CBS)

At an unannounced meeting with his war council yesterday, President Obama conveyed his decision on a new strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan and gave the order that the new strategy be implemented, according to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

"The commander in chief delivered the orders," Gibbs told reporters this morning, reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

Among those present at the late afternoon meeting were Vice President Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, Joint Chiefs Vice Chair General James E. Cartwright, U.S. Central Command commander Army General David Petraeus., National Security Adviser General James Jones and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Following the meeting, Gibbs said, the president spoke via video conference in the Situation Room with General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, and Karl Eikenberry, ambassador to Afghanistan, to convey his decision to them.

Mr. Obama also spoke on the phone with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Sunday and French President Nicolas Sarkozy today about the decision. He plans to contact British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev later today, and was also expected to discuss the decision with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at their meeting this morning.

In addition, Gibbs said, the president plans to inform Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari of his decision later today or tomorrow.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Afghanistan

The president will announce his new strategy to the public in a primetime speech tomorrow night at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

The president is expected to announce he is deploying between 30,000 and 35,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. He has been working on the speech with Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes, according to Gibbs.

There are 68,000 U.S. troops in the country now, including the 21,000 already deployed by the president. McChrystal has sought an additional 40,000 troops.

Mr. Obama will meet with at least 31 key members of Congress, including leaders, committee chairs and ranking members, tomorrow at 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time before heading to West Point.

In those meetings he will seek to drum up support for his new plan, particularly from Democrats skeptical about the cost of sending additional troops as well as the danger of getting further involved in the eight-year-old conflict.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by pensacola8-2009 November 30, 2009 5:50 PM EST

It dismays me to know that any 18 year old entering military service today was only 10 years old during the 911 attack. I feel it completely inappropriate for such young citizens to be used for this purpose. It is a war started by a generation at least 30 or 40 years older than they are.

Military service should be closed off to citizens under 30 for the duration of the war and open to citizens at least 31 and up to 65.

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by AOCGUY November 30, 2009 6:12 PM EST: pensacola - I'm surprised at you post especially given your handle. As you know the decision to commit our armed forces to combat is a political one made by our civilian leadership - the decision to join the military is made by those who have joined and I give them credit for at least understanding that we are a nation at war and they will be called upon to fight it. This is neither a critism or support of our current fights - that's for another post. Nor is it a unsympathetic observation of our young military personnel. In fact I'm involvde daily with them and their training and they are willing and able to do what their president tells them to.


by JJHH3000 November 30, 2009 5:39 PM EST: Who knows if this latest strategy will work---I'm pessimistic but the issue of the Taliban getting in to North America thru Mass Immigration cannot be ignored much longer. You can't try to beat them in Afghanistan while keeping the door wide open for them here.

Isn't it strange that politicians who like to show off how concerned they are about public safety, when discussing something fairly uncontraversial like seat belts, impaired driving, etc., suddenly fall silent regarding the incredible dangers they are imposing on the public by not putting a moratorium on immigration right away?; Reply to this comment


by AOCGUY November 30, 2009 5:16 PM EST: by USMC-Mom November 30, 2009 2:35 PM EST
Velma, That man who now holds office is telling our men & women fighting to give more effort. Instead of sending the requested number of HELP, Obama said, give twice the effort. My son is already giving more than twice along with the rest over there. They can only hold one riffle at a time

USMC-Mom - Please tell me when Pres Obama said "give twice the effort". And as I have said to you before it is not the numbers it is the strategy. I have read GEN McCrystal's report and nowhere it it did he request 40K troops. He outlined a number of issues that needed to be addressed from infrastructure to security to dealing with insurgents. Each one of those issues had a price tag in terms of troop numbers. Now that the President has determined what his desired outcome will be and chosen the appropriate (we hope) strategy to achieve that outcome. From that strategy will come total troop levels necessary to achive the desired outcome. To just blindly throw more soldiers into the equation is going to result in more American soldiers deaths.; Reply to this comment

by love2ridend November 30, 2009 4:51 PM EST

A lot of people whine Bush/Cheney this Bush/Cheney that. Quit blaming the past he wanted the job he got it is his responsibility from Jan 20 2009. People die in the war its his fault not Bush/Cheney. Unemployment goes up its the President fault and the Democratic Congress and Senate. Federal deficit its the Democratics nobody else you have controll of the White House the House and Senate. Nobody to blame except themselves from 20 January on. Suck it up and take responsibity for once.

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by velma179 November 30, 2009 5:36 PM EST: by love2ridend November 30, 2009 4:51 PM EST

Please look up the word "continuity".

Then please understand that our government must essentially maintain a continuity.

The country does not STOP on any given January 20th Inauguration date and then START UP again with "all new and never before seen" challenges or strengths.

The sun rose on the last day of George Bush's presidency at exactly the same time it appeared on the first day of Barack Obama's.

________

By the way -- events, even failures from past administrations do have ongoing consequences. To say otherwise is being blind to history -- and that has never been wise.

Hence, it isn't always placing blame to make an honest assessment of the past.


by finkfurst November 30, 2009 4:19 PM EST: by USMC-Mom November 30, 2009 2:38 PM EST
The government stopped doing what the votes say along time ago.
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So you're saying that American democracy doesn't work. What are you going to do about it?
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Apparently nothing! Therefore you have to grounds for complaint, and good luck to your son/daughter fighting in a pointless war.; Reply to this comment


by chamaatlast November 30, 2009 4:14 PM EST: mucho grassy ass to you too!; Reply to this comment


by chamaatlast November 30, 2009 4:11 PM EST: what they need to do is either level the mountains between afganistan and pakistan, or go in and close off the caves in them. Do it, close caves, at both ends of the cave at the same time. therefor trapping a lot of the criminals in the caves with no way out.; Reply to this comment


by eiddam November 30, 2009 3:43 PM EST: There was a reason Bush SR. suggested Obama keep the same Bush generals, and especially Gates, who goes back as Bush SR. friend in the CIA, and that was to prolong the war, and at the same time make Obama look bad, so another Bush can become President. The Bush regime is still in the shadows running the show.; Reply to this comment


by lovenpeace1 November 30, 2009 3:17 PM EST: Folks,

I hope Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Lou Dobb or Joe the Plumber will twitter tomorrow so that all Conservatives concentrate to praise, support and defend them instead of stopping President Obama's Agenda.; Reply to this comment


by kbbpll November 30, 2009 3:08 PM EST: There's only one solution. Whenever the Taliban takes over a village, turn it into a smoking hole. That's the only thing these people understand. Since no US president is willing to do that, and not even the Soviets were willing to do that, there is no point in sacrificing even one more American life in Afghanistan.; Reply to this comment