McClatchy

 Obama should officially announce his decision soon

President Barack Obama met Monday evening with his national security team to finalize a plan to dispatch some 34,000 additional U.S. troops over the next year to what he’s called "a war of necessity" in Afghanistan, U.S. officials told McClatchy.

Obama is expected to announce his long-awaited decision on Dec. 1, followed by meetings on Capitol Hill aimed at winning congressional support amid opposition by some Democrats who are worried about the strain on the U.S. Treasury and whether Afghanistan has become a quagmire, the officials said.

The U.S. officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the issue publicly and because, one official said, the White House is incensed by leaks on its Afghanistan policy that didn’t originate in the White House.

They said the commander of the U.S.-led international force in Afghanistan, Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, could arrive in Washington as early as Sunday to participate in the rollout of the new plan, including testifying before Congress toward the end of next week. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry also are expected to appear before congressional committees.

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Related posts:

1. Obama aides see need for more troops in Afghanistan
2. Obama to Send just Enough Troops to Keep Al Qaeda at Bay
3. Obama sneaks up to 15,000 additional troops into Afghanistan
4. Obama’s Afghan Plan: About 40K More Troops
5. 43 U.S. Troops Have Died in Afghanistan Since Gen. McChrystal Called for Reinforcements

Tags: 000 soldiers, 34, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, surge, Troops

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