Obama Officials Mull Future in Afghanistan

Top Advisers Hold First of Several Meetings on Strategy and Possible Troop Increases

(CBS)  President Obama has to make a big decision, and soon - should he send more U.S. troops to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan or rely more on Special Forces and attacks from unmanned aircraft or drones?

The president convened his war council to examine the options Wednesday, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Maritn.

The vice president led a parade of top advisers to the White House in the afternoon for what could be one of the most important meetings of the Obama presidency.

The subject: Afghanistan - what should the strategy be and how many troops are needed. Of course, it will take more than one meeting to crack that conundrum.

"I think at least three more are already on the working schedule and I assume there will be more after that," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the American commander in Afghanistan who has warned the war could be lost without more troops, joined the meeting by video teleconference. His mission is complex but the bottom line is simple: prevent Afghanistan from ever again becoming a safe haven from which al Qaeda could launch another 9/11.

Wednesday the nation's top counterterrorism official told Congress al Qaeda is on the ropes - its leadership decimated by CIA drone strikes - but still dangerous operating out of safe havens in Pakistan.

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"We assess that the al Qaeda core is actively engaged in operational plotting and continues recruiting, training and transporting operatives to include individuals from western Europe and the United States," said National Terrorism Center director Michael Leiter.

In Afghanistan, McChrystal is fighting al Qaeda's ally the Taliban. Maps charting insurgent violence from 2007 to the present clearly show the enemy is gaining ground.

The Pentagon is rushing over more armored vehicles to protect soldiers from roadside bombs, but McChrystal is asking for tens of thousands more troops.

But there are powerful voices, including the vice president, arguing the U.S. should settle for a less ambitious strategy that requires fewer troops.

Wednesday's meeting lasted three hours, much of it taken up with briefings on the latest intelligence from Afghanistan and Pakistan. The next meeting with the president is scheduled next week.

[NewYork-Joey]

by hungry1968-16 September 30, 2009 8:11 PM EDT
It's time to pull the plug.

If we get hit again, then we should just nuke the mountains and mountain passes down to dust.





wait a second.....haven't you been crying for years that Bush was distracted by destroying Iraq's dictator and his army, and should have paid more attention to "getting Bin Laden" instead of "attacking the wrong country" ???? haven't you been crying this for years now ??

NOW you want to "pull the plug" ??

Make up your mind already.

and.....what about all the innocent "woman and children" that you claimed to be soooo concerned about....now you want to "nuke" the mountain passes to dust

unbelievable

[wyodutch]

Drive past any military "career center" aka recruiting office... Note the absence of lines of prospective enlistees.
.
The American public is showing their support for these endless wars by staying away from them and paying some poor kids to do the fighting and dieing.
.
The U.S. military services sign up about 8,000 foreign nationals annually.. Count 'em war-mongers... That's eight thousand slots that had to be filled by foreign merceneries because not enough Americans believe the propaganda about God being on our side in the 'Stan.
.
In addition to those 8,000 merceneries, The Defense Department has launched a year-long pilot program to recruit about 1,000 non-U.S. citizen health care workers and language and cultural specialists for service in America?s military.
.
And the "enemy"? Their troops draw no pay, have no medical coverage and if they are killed, their family might be lucky enough to receive the body. Yet.. their ranks grow by the day.

[ramos1129]

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the American commander in Afghanistan who has warned the war could be lost without more troops, joined the meeting by video teleconference. His mission is complex but the bottom line is simple: prevent Afghanistan from ever again becoming a safe haven from which al Qaeda could launch another 9/11.

Wednesday the nation's top counterterrorism official told Congress al Qaeda is on the ropes - its leadership decimated by CIA drone strikes - but still dangerous operating out of safe havens in Pakistan.

-----------------------------------------

The only way we can prevent Afgan from becoming and staying a safe haven for AQ to to occupy the country with over 300,000 troops and stay for decades. This neither the Afgan or American people want. We simply could not pay the price in lives and resources.

The expert above is contradicted by his own statement. If we have destroyed AQ's leadership, how do they operate out of safe havens in Pakistan? Also, how can AQ effectively control the country outside of Kabul and its suburbs?

[gunz911]

Remember when Barry was campaigning, said that Bush took his eyes of the ball in Afghanistan, OMAMA said he would end the war in Iraq and send the troops to Afghanistan. Over a month ago OHAMMYS main commander that he sent there to evaluate came back with the winning strategy to win Barrys war. But it seems little BARRY was?nt to interested in Afghanistan and that tough talk was just to fool the stupid small town white idependents he needed to win, (naww Barrys no socialist, he against alquaeda}
In the end he knows he just playing with the lives of a bunch of small town rednecks as they die everyday under his command, they do not have the same value as crackhead welfare mother who abuses her children, but can still vote 6 times for him to get elected.
Hey on IRAQ BARRY got that wrong to, we made diplomatic agreements that spells out the timetable for withdraw from a Free democracy IRAQ, just before he was sworn in, so that he couldn?t loose that too.. Hey Barry you can?t loose them all.

[gunz911]

Remember when Barry was campaigning, said that Bush took his eyes of the ball in Afghanistan, OMAMA said he would end the war in Iraq and send the troops to Afghanistan. Over a month ago OHAMMYS main commander that he sent there to evaluate came back with the winning strategy to win Barrys war. But it seems little BARRY was?nt to interested in Afghanistan and that tough talk was just to fool the stupid small town white idependents he needed to win, (naww Barrys no socialist, he against alquaeda}
In the end he knows he just playing with the lives of a bunch of small town rednecks as they die everyday under his command, they do not have the same value as crackhead welfare mother who abuses her children, but can still vote 6 times for him to get elected.
Hey on IRAQ BARRY got that wrong to, we made diplomatic agreements that spells out the timetable for withdraw from a Free democracy IRAQ, just before he was sworn in, so that he couldn?t loose that too.. Hey Barry you can?t loose them all.

[prajaowain]

Hey T Fed goad or trick anyone into making threats yet? Kiss my grits!

[mooksie1]

Am I the only one who does not trust Obama to do the right thing about Afghanistan? I mean, the man is such a rookie, and he seems to be in the dark as to what course of action to take on most matters. After all he was only a junior senator from Illinois, who by his smooth talk and pie-in-the-sky promises was voted in as president. Meanwhile soldiers are dying on the battle field with not enough back-up assistance in the offing, while Obama is sitting on his duff "contemplating " as to what to do. I really belive that millions of Americans are getting buyer's remorse regarding Obama. He definitely is not all that he was cracked up to be. In these difficult times we do not need a rookie in the White House but a person with knowledge, gravitas, respect, and determination. And Obama is sorely lacking in all of these.

[SocietysNightmare]

So much rhetoric and not once did you mention what the "RIGHT THING" is.

[sjc_1]

Failed states can be havens for terrorist groups. We saw that before 9/11 and it is still true today. If we leave, the Taliban will come back in and so will terrorist groups with money like al Qaeda.

[hermitdave]

I guess none of the suit and tie group has guts enough to bring up the most important question about the Afghan CRUSADE. Just what the hell America is doing over there in the first place. Surely no sane human believes the the Cheney government made the best decision to revenge 9/11/01. Remember the Cheney government told the world that Osama Bin Laden was responsible for 9/11/01. Although the CIA claimed Osama was hiding in Afghanistan, there was never any actual evidence just where he was. One thing for sure the citizens of Afghanistan were not all involved with the planning or execution of the 9/11/01 attack on America. So one could question just why the Chaney government decided to start bombing and slaughtering innocent Afghan women and children. It disgusts me to think that the top leaders of my country thought WAR was the smartest way to satisfy Americans desire for revenge.

I am sure this meeting will not discuss any of my points. I believe it will just continue the illegal invasion. After all in today's America there is not a lick of difference in leadership at the very top, and congress is basking in a higher approval rating than any of them deserve.

[hungry1968-16]

It's time to pull the plug.

If we get hit again, then we should just nuke the mountains and mountain passes down to dust.

Then let's see the Taliban slip back and forth across the border.

[stn_sage]

I'm inclined to agree with you, but I can't!

Too many people over there have stupidly died already! Men, women, & children who aren't Taliban---who just live a simple life and want to be left alone---not bothered by anyone!

If we did what you suggest, that many more people would be stupidly killed! And, at this point, it should be about ending the killing!

Bush and Cheney lost this one already! End the killing and bring the troops home!

If the troops are still there on Veterans Day, then it's Obama's war!
He should've brought the troops home, and he didn't!