WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama summoned his war council to the White House Situation Room on Wednesday for an intense, three-hour discussion that exposed emerging fault lines over Afghanistan — with military commanders pressing for more troops and other advisers expressing skepticism.
There was no discussion of specific troop levels during the meeting in the West Wing basement, according to a senior administration official. But the talks underscored the divisions throughout Obama’s inner circle that must be navigated in the coming weeks, the official said.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and special Afghan and Pakistan envoy Richard Holbrooke appeared to be leaning toward supporting a troop increase, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Gen. James Jones, Obama’s national security adviser, appeared to be skeptical of troop increases, the official said. Vice President Joe Biden, who attended the meeting, has been reluctant to support a troop increase, favoring a strategy that directly targets al-Qaeda fighters who are believed to be hiding in Pakistan.
No firm or final recommendations were offered to Obama, the official said, suggesting that views were still evolving.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, in charge of the Afghan war, is widely believed to want to add between 30,000 and 40,000 to the current force of 68,000.
