Obama issues Afghan war plan to military officials

Obama unveiled Afghan plan to war council members
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House spokesman says President Barack Obama held an unannounced meeting with members of his war council on Afghanistan in the Oval Office Sunday night. Robert Gibbs says Obama used the meeting, that included Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and National Security Adviser James Jones, to lay out his final decision on a new strategy for Afghanistan, which is expected to included the dispatch of thousands more U.S. troops. After the meeting, Gibbs told reporters Monday, Obama spoke by video conference with U.S. commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal and Karl Eikenberry, ambassador to Afghanistan.

Obama ordered Afghan strategy implemented on Sunday -- AFP
POTUS tells McChrystal of plan -- Politico
Obama holds war council to unveil Afghan plan -- AP
Barack Obama briefs world leaders on Afghanistan plan -- BBC
Obama orders launch of Afghanistan strategy, prepares to address U.S. -- L.A. Times

A "Necessary War" -- for a Gas Pipeline
It's Obama's War Now

By GARY LEUPP

http://www.counterpunch.org/leupp11302009.html

There are now at present some 68,000 U.S. troops and 42,000 allied forces occupying Afghanistan, in league with the Northern Alliance warlords and the corrupt and feeble Karzai regime in Kabul. President Obama clearly wishes to increase the figure and will announce before an audience of West Point cadets Tuesday that he will add over 30,000 more while pushing the Europeans to add 10,000. This will bring the total number of occupation forces to around the level of the Soviet deployment at its peak in the 1980s.

How War Hawks Caged ObamaPresident Obama's "team of rivals" -- especially Defense Secretary Gates -- ensured an Afghan escalation, says Robert Parry. November 30, 2009