Obama Wants Change in War Plans

President Barack Obama isn't planning on accepting any of the Afghanistan war options proposed by his national security team, he instead wants revisions that would clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn the responsibility of the government back to the Afghans. Military officials said Obama has asked for a new strategy and is resisting Gen. Stanley McChrystal's recommendation for more troops. Obama was considering options that include adding an additional 30,000 or more troops to take on the Taliban in main areas of Afghanistan and make time for their small forces to take over. The other options were troop increases from a small number to the 40,000 that the U.S. general in Afghanistan wants. The Obama administration wants to make it clear that U.S. commitment in Afghanistan is not open-ended because the war is now in its ninth year and is claiming the lives of many Americans at a rapid pace as a result of the Taliban being in control in many parts of the country. Military officials believe one approach is a plan that would add 30,000 or more troops adding onto the 68,000 already in the country. They describe this plan as "half and half" because half would be fighting and half would be training and "holding ground" so the Afghans can regroup. Officials believe Obama is considering possibilities for military expansion and that his decision will cover changes that are beyond adding more troops. Training and partnership operation with Afghan forces would be part of that effort even though expansion of better trained Afghan forces has always been part of the U.S. objective and the key to an eventual allied exit from Afghanistan.