White House: No Troop Decision This Month
(AP Photo/Michael Dinneen)
A White House official traveling with President Obama to Asia said late Thursday that Mr. Obama's decision on future war strategy for Afghanistan is expected no sooner than the first week in December.
The official tells CBS News, "there is a sense of urgency to get it right," without rushing the announcement. The official also says the president will likely wait to brief top Congressional leaders until after the Thanksgiving recess.
In a further indication of the administration's thinking, the official says announcing an immediate surge of troops would bolster Taliban claims that the U.S. plans to occupy Afghanistan.
Above: President Obama waves as he disembarks Air Force One at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, Nov. 12, 2009.
CBSNews.com Special Report: Afghanistan
It's already been widely reported that any major U.S. troop build-up would not start until the spring.
The official also notes that any large-scale troop increase would let the Karzai government "off the hook" on the need to build Afghan military and security forces. The official said the president wants to convey a message to Hamid Karzai that he "can't take the U.S. role for granted."
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White House spokesman Robert Gibbs mentioned U.S. concerns about Afghan "governance" issues multiple times in a 15 minute briefing with reporters aboard Air Force One.
President Obama plans extensive talks on Afghanistan with the leaders of Japan, Russia, China, South Korea and other countries during his Asia tour, which begins Friday morning in Tokyo.
Behind the scenes, other foreign consultations are underway. Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke is making the rounds in Paris, Berlin and Moscow to outline U.S. thinking about Afghanistan. National Security Advisor James Jones is in Pakistan on Friday. He will join the president later on the Asia trip.
