Putting Afghanistan in the driving seat
The president holds the first of five meetings with his national security team on Wednesday; separately, he meets the new Nato Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Tuesday.
Obama's new strategy is being reviewed in the light of the elections in Afghanistan to see whether it needs "adjustments" - the word used by Defence Secretary Robert Gates. Some want to get back to a strategy where the main aim is killing terrorists, not building a nation.
Although Rasmussen doesn't want to get pulled into the fight between generals and politicos (with the politicos urging the more aggressive strategy), it seems he's clearly on the side of .
In , he has said that "the reality is that this mission cannot continue forever". He says that things have to change because the public feels "we aren't getting anywhere".
His prescription is putting Afghanistan in the driving seat, by building up its military. He says that this should not be written up as "run for the exits" but that "as long as it takes... cannot mean forever". He says that this will cost money and can't be done on the cheap. "We have to do more now, if we want to be able to do less later."
I don't think the president is going to ignore advice like this, especially when it describes his own original strategy. But it is going to be a tough sell.
I’m Mark Mardell, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's North America editor. These are my reflections on American politics, some thoughts on being a Brit living in the USA, and who knows what else? My 
Comments
or to comment.