President Obama to Consider Four Options for Afghanistan on Wednesday

It was reported earlier in the week that President Barack Obama was not expected to come to a decision on the topic of determining the optimal strategy for the Afghanistan war. Even though a decision is still not expected within the next couple of weeks due to Obama's upcoming eight-day trip to Asia, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has announced that the President will meet with his national security team on Wednesday to analyze the final four options.

According to The New York Times, President Obama has expressed concern over the inadequate responses that the administration has received from the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan in regards to their cooperation in executing a newly introduced strategy. Although three of the four options have been revealed to the public, there has been a fourth option that was added earlier this week and administration officials have refused to elaborate on its details.

Three of the final four options that President Obama will evaluate include strategies that involve sending additional troops to Afghanistan. The most conservative option appears to be the one that asks for 20,000 to 25,000 troops while the most aggressive option would adhere to General Stanley A. McChrystal's plea for 40,000 troops. There is an option that falls in between the two aforementioned options in terms of the number of troops that would be sent.