Team Obama to Huddle on Afghan War Anniversary
Discussion continues after Obama rules out Afghanistan exit
Updated 5:45 AM EDT, Wed, Oct 7, 2009
President Obama plans a second strategy session with his national security team today, the eighth anniversary of the increasingly unpopular Afghanistan war.
In a candid 90-minute discussion with military advisers and 31 lawmakers from both parties on Tuesday, Obama reportedly ruled out removing troops from the country but was mum on sending reinforcements.
During the meeting, Obama’s campaign rival, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), provoked a sharp response from the president after complaining that Obama was taking too long to make a troop decision, Politico reported. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said afterward that lawmakers had pledged to support Obama’s decision either way.
Nearly 800 people have died from the war in Afghanistan, the invasion sparked by the terrorist attacks of Sept.11, 2001. American public support for the war now stands at 40 percent, while Obama's job approval has risen to 56 percent in the past month, the AP reported.
First Published: Oct 7, 2009 4:39 AM EDT
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