WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Barack Obama is considering four scenarios to move forward in Afghanistan, and was expected to discuss them at Wednesday's eighth meeting with his war council, sources told CNN.
The meeting in the White House Situation Room was to continue evaluating how best to carry out the mission in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, told CNN beforehand.
Petraeus provided no specifics on options under consideration, but said the process is approaching completion.
"I think we are indeed nearing a decision on this very important topic," he said.
Though the options under consideration are not being spelled out, one is fairly well-defined.
That option, a senior administration official and U.S. military official independently confirmed, calls for sending about 34,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan.
A military official said the plan would send three U.S. Army brigades, totaling about 15,000 troops; a Marine brigade, about 8,000 troops; a headquarters element, about 7,000 troops; and 4,000 to 5,000 support troops. The combat brigades would be brought in gradually, in three-month intervals.
The troops would be spread across the country, mainly focusing in the south and southeast, where much of the fighting is, according to the official. The military official said the option has been a favorite at the Pentagon in recent weeks.
That is only one option, the senior administration official emphasized, adding that the president had not decided. The other options, the official said, would be "different mixes," or "different components of it."
"I think we may have become a little obsessed about 'What's the troop number? What's the number that will guarantee us success' or 'If we don't send that number, that shows we're not committed.' I don't think that's the choice here," said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., who serves on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees.
Smith says the biggest challenges are figuring out exactly who we're backing and defining what the mission is. Smith applauds Obama for taking his time, but also hopes we'll know more soon.
"But now, I think is the time. I think he's had that opportunity. He needs to Gen. (Stanley) McChrystal, tell our troops and tell the nation, 'Here's the mission. Here's why we're there. Here's what we're trying to accomplish and here’s the resources that are going to be necessary to make that happen," said Smith.
At Wednesday's meeting, Obama was expected to address a number of issues with his war council beyond how many troops to send, according to the senior administration official.
The president also was expected to consider the kind of cooperation the United States can expect from the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the kind of civilian support the United States is willing to offer, and the kind of support the United States can expect from other countries, the senior administration official said.
All those factors could lead to "further refinements" or some "greater elements being considered," the official said, adding: "He's got to fine-tune this, put it all together ... for what direction best advances our interests."
Despite reports to the contrary, Obama has not decided the number of U.S. troops he will send to Afghanistan, White House officials said.
Such reports are "absolutely false," Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said. And anyone who suggests otherwise, "doesn't have, in all honesty, the slightest idea what they're talking about."
Afghan author and activist Malalai Joya, in Seattle for a book signing and speaking tour, wants American and NATO troops out of her country. She accuses the Obama Administration of being slow to change policy and of propping up, what she calls, warlords and criminals, Karzai and other leaders.
"First of all, he must end this occupation. This is not war on terror. This is war on innocent civilians," said Joya.
Joya was kicked out of the Afghan parliament for expressing her views. She wants Americans to know that her country needs U.S. support, but not U.S. soldiers.
"It is better (to) leave us alone, then we know what to do with our destiny. These warlords and Taliban, my people hate both of them," said Joya.
White House officials would not say whether Wednesday's meeting with the war council would be the president's final meeting before deciding on Afghanistan, but they did say he would continue to discuss the war effort in smaller groups in coming days, including during his trip to Asia, which starts Thursday.
Republican members of the Senate Armed Services Committee urged Obama in a letter sent Wednesday -- Veterans Day -- to agree to the request for additional troops by U.S. military leaders in Afghanistan.
The letter, signed by 10 GOP committee members, said success in Afghanistan will require local leaders and citizens being able to govern and secure their own country without "substantial" international assistance.
"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," the letter said. "That is our goal, and we must stay in the fight until is won."
Republican leaders have criticized Obama for taking so long to decide on the troop request, but Petraeus said the process of analyzing the situation has been "very useful."
"There has been a refinement of objectives; there has been discussion of various courses of action," he said. "There have been explanations and discussions about how the civilian component of this will complement what is done by the work of our military troops. All in all, I think it has been a very productive couple of months that we have spent on this."
There's also word that U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry has sent two classified messages to Washington, D.C. recently, saying he has deep concerns about sending more troops in until the Karzai government proves it can make good on promises to curb corruption and fight the heroine trade.
