WH denies Afghan decision made, as tensions flare with Pentagon

[DearAbby]

WASHINGTON (CNN)– White House National Security Adviser Retired Gen. Jim Jones issued a rare public statement Monday vehemently denying media reports suggesting President Obama has privately decided to send close to 40,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, as tensions between the White House and Pentagon appear to be flaring up over exactly what the president will announce.

"Reports that President Obama has made a decision about Afghanistan are absolutely false," Jones, who generally keeps a low public profile, said in a prepared statement Monday night. "He has not received final options for his consideration, he has not reviewed those options with his national security team, and he has not made any decisions about resources. Any reports to the contrary are completely untrue and come from uninformed sources."

The statement was issued shortly after CBS News' veteran Pentagon Correspondent David Martin reported that Obama has "tentatively decided" to send four more combat brigades to Afghanistan and several thousand more support troops starting early next year. That would bring the total number of new troops to close to the 40,000 figure originally requested by Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

Two other senior administration officials flatly told CNN that the CBS report and other similar speculation is false. The Associated Press reported Monday that Obama is "nearing a decision to add tens of thousands more forces to Afghanistan, though not quite the 40,000 sought his top general there."


The two senior administration officials suggested the information is being leaked by Pentagon sources who are trying to box Obama in by setting public expectations that he will send close to 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan as McChrystal requested.

"People at the Pentagon are trying to force a certain outcome," one of the senior administration officials told CNN.

More at link:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/10/wh-denies-afghan-decision-made-as-tensions-flare-with-pentagon-2/

[Cha]

1. Yeah, there was a statement from the White House

last night on this after the article from cbs came on DU and the screeching began over false mediawhore information.

[DJ13]

2. "People at the Pentagon are trying to force a certain outcome,"

Technically wouldnt that be considered mutiny in the Military Code?

[Reform]

3. i believe so

the president is the commander in chief

[tekisui]

4. Only if it was truly done against the President's wishes.

[DearAbby]

5. Doesn't the Pentagon understand the chain of command?..n/t