Tension rises over commitment to war
Pentagon concerned about whether Obama will allow more troops in Afghanistan
Nancy A. Youssef (MCT)
Issue date: 9/3/09 Section: World News
Some White House officials said the administration feels it was pressured to send the additional 17,500 combat troops and 4,000 trainers earlier this year, before the administration was comfortable with its plan for Afghanistan, because of the country's election in August.
Obama now feels McChrystal and his superior, Army Gen. David Petraeus, the head of the Central Command, are pressuring him to commit still more troops to Afghanistan, a senior military official said. The official said retired Marine Gen. James Jones, Obama's national security adviser, told McChrystal last month not to ask for more troops, but that McChrystal still indicated in interviews he may need more.
McChrystal's new assessment is the fifth ordered since Obama's inauguration. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said no details of the assessment would be released. Other officials called it a "political hot potato."
On Monday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the Obama administration inherited an under-resourced war in Afghanistan, but he stopped short of promising more troops.
Administration officials said the White House is planning a series of "quiet discussions" among top advisers over the next six weeks or so about the way ahead.
"What the president is going to want to do is review the report and then discuss and talk with all of those that have equities in it to get their viewpoints and to ensure that each and every person is heard on this," Gibbs said Monday. "And that's what the president intends to do."
Obama now feels McChrystal and his superior, Army Gen. David Petraeus, the head of the Central Command, are pressuring him to commit still more troops to Afghanistan, a senior military official said. The official said retired Marine Gen. James Jones, Obama's national security adviser, told McChrystal last month not to ask for more troops, but that McChrystal still indicated in interviews he may need more.
McChrystal's new assessment is the fifth ordered since Obama's inauguration. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said no details of the assessment would be released. Other officials called it a "political hot potato."
On Monday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the Obama administration inherited an under-resourced war in Afghanistan, but he stopped short of promising more troops.
Administration officials said the White House is planning a series of "quiet discussions" among top advisers over the next six weeks or so about the way ahead.
"What the president is going to want to do is review the report and then discuss and talk with all of those that have equities in it to get their viewpoints and to ensure that each and every person is heard on this," Gibbs said Monday. "And that's what the president intends to do."
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