President Obama has been criticized for dragging his feet on the Afghanistan decision, but I think he should take whatever time he needs to gather all the facts and opinions he can concerning troop buildup.  Presidents often say that making the decision to send troops into harm’s way is the hardest decision they have to  make, yet so often it seems like it is a given when a general requests more troops.

I have no idea what Obama will eventually decide to do, but taking the time to make a well thought out decision is a good thing.

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama does not plan to accept any of the Afghanistan war options presented by his national security team, pushing instead for revisions to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility to the Afghan government, a senior administration official said Wednesday.

That stance comes in the midst of forceful reservations about a possible troop buildup from the U.S. ambassador in Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, according to a second top administration official.

In strongly worded classified cables to Washington, Eikenberry said he had misgivings about sending in new troops while there are still so many questions about the leadership of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Obama is still close to announcing his revamped war strategy — most likely shortly after he returns from a trip to Asia that ends on Nov. 19.

But the president raised questions at a war council meeting Wednesday that could alter the dynamic of both how many additional troops are sent to Afghanistan and what the timeline would be for their presence in the war zone, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Obama’s thinking.

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