Obama Warns Afghan Commitment Not Open-Ended

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama warned that the U.S. commitment in Afghanistan is not “open” after meeting with his war cabinet to discuss the deployment of tens of thousands more troops.

Obama’s caution sweet wine such as The Washington Post and U.S. Ambassador in Kabul had sent letters to Washington expressing its deep concern over the deployment of more troops.

Classified cables detailed reports of their strong reservations against sending reinforcements to the Afghan government of President Hamid Karzai shows that it can fight corruption which has resulted in bland revival of the Taliban.

Ambassador Karl Eikenberry also expressed concerns about the erratic behavior of Karzai, U.S. officials say familiar with the notes and quoted in the reports.

The correspondence was sent ahead of critical Obama’s war cabinet meeting on Wednesday in which way to turn against the insurgency, with its options, said it was reduced to four.

After the meeting, White House officials said the president was yet to come to a decision that makes his first presidential tour of Asia with the issue of Afghanistan a few to dominate their talks.

“The president believes that we must make clear to the Afghan Government that our commitment is not unlimited,” said a White House official said, briefing journalists in the last round of talks with Obama’s military leaders.

“After years of substantial investment by the American people, the Afghan government must improve in a reasonable time to ensure a successful transition to our Afghan partners,” said the official.

Americans, still reeling from last week’s shooting at a military base in Texas, but may have to wait a couple of weeks before the commander in chief reveals one of the biggest decisions of his presidency.

Four options are on the table, as Wednesday’s talks began in the Situation Room of the White House with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden Vice President and Head of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen .

Top U.S. and NATO Commander General Stanley McChrystal, who has called for an extra 40,000 troops on the ground, also serves on the board of the eighth of its kind since the August war.

According to The New York Times, one of the options before Obama is the proposed McChrystal, which would significantly increase and 68,000 troops in Afghanistan.

Another proposal is to send 30,000 extra troops, while a third includes ramps to number between 20,000 and 25,000, the Times said.

A fourth option was added recently, but administration officials declined to specify details about the number of troops.

Gates, a Republican who served in the previous administration and remained in office for Obama, is said to favor the option of 30,000 additional troops, along with Clinton and Mullen, the Times said.

However, the U.S. president Are said to have expressed concern about how the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan would support the U.S. effort.

An official told the Times: “It’s just still not convinced that you can make a lasting counterinsurgency strategy if no one is going to hand.”

The decision has been complicated by fraud tainted elections in Afghanistan, Karzai was re-elected to a second term.

Karzai was installed as Afghan leader in 2001 after the overthrow of Taliban militants for an invasion, is in disgrace amid persistent allegations of corruption.

Public opposition to war is also growing, with about 800 U.S. soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan and the death toll rising. October was the deadliest month for U.S. forces there since 2001.

Most Americans oppose sending more troops, said Wednesday a survey, with 56 percent of respondents in a CNN / Opinion Research Corporation, saying they were against, and 58 percent opposed the conflict.