Afghanistan decision to come within days, White House says

President Obama will announce within days whether he will send more troops to Afghanistan, the White House said after he met with his national security team Monday night.
"After completing a rigorous final meeting, President Obama has the information he wants and needs to make his decision and he will announce that decision within days," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
The U.S. commander on the ground has asked for more troops and Republicans have criticized Obama for the drawn-out consideration process. The White House has defended its timetable, saying the president wants to get the decision right, not fast.
Monday's meeting, which ended at 10 p.m., included Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen, Afghanistan commanding Gen. Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry and other senior officials.
At the last war council meeting -- on November 11, Veterans Day -- Obama pushed for revisions in proposed plans for troop increases to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility to the Afghan government.
Gibbs said before Monday's meeting that Obama would seek answers to the questions he posed on November 11 about "not just how we get people there, but what's the strategy for getting them out."
Sources said one option that has been presented to Obama calls for sending about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, in addition to the 68,000 already committed to the country, with other options involving variations on that plan.
Before the November 11 meeting, Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, said the decision-making process was approaching completion. Petraeus emphasized the need to focus on the mission of ensuring that Afghanistan "does not once again become a sanctuary or safe haven for al Qaeda and the kind of transnational extremists that carried out the 9/11 attacks."
The Obama administration has expressed concerns about Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's viability and has ratcheted up pressure to end corruption in order to combat an intensifying Taliban insurgency.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated the U.S. concerns last week in a dinner meeting with Karzai.
Clinton, who was in Kabul to attend Karzai's inauguration after his recent re-election, encouraged the Afghan president to seize the "clear window of opportunity" before him at a "critical moment" in Afghanistan's history.
On Monday, the U.S. special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, told reporters that the United States and other countries are increasing their civilian presence in Afghanistan to bolster efforts to stabilize the country.
Asked about corruption, Holbrooke noted that some Afghan government ministers have "extraordinary records" of accomplishment. He said the United States will work with those ministers, while recognizing that years of civil war and social woes have weakened overall leadership capabilities in Afghanistan.
"This is one of the main reasons we're increasing our civilian role," Holbrooke said. "And it's extremely delicate to get the mix right. We want to help the Afghans help themselves. We do not want to replace a sovereign government with internationals."
Republican opponents are pushing Obama to quickly agree to McChrystal's reported request for up to 40,000 additional troops in Afghanistan as part of a counterinsurgency strategy.
"This won't be perfect or easy, but it will allow America's fighting men and women to leave Afghanistan with honor, and it will enable Afghans to build a better, more peaceful future," said a letter 10 Republican leaders sent to Obama on Veterans Day