Afghanistan War News Updates -- October 7, 2009

U.S. Marines conduct an operation to clear a village of Taliban fighters in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan. Joe Raedle / Getty

Obama Rules Out Large Reduction in Afghan Force -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama told Congressional leaders on Tuesday that he would not substantially reduce American forces in Afghanistan or shift the mission to just hunting terrorists there, but he indicated that he remained undecided about the major troop buildup proposed by his commanding general.

Meeting with leaders from both parties at the White House, Mr. Obama seemed to be searching for some sort of middle ground, saying he wanted to “dispense with the straw man argument that this is about either doubling down or leaving Afghanistan,” as White House officials later described his remarks.

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More News On Afghanistan

Afghan Strategy Divides Lawmakers -- Washington Post
Obama Mulls Middle Ground in Afghanistan War Strategy -- L.A. Times
Obama to Discuss Afghanistan With Advisors -- Voice of America
Obama weighs options on anniversary of Afghan war -- AP
Obama rejects 'Biden option' on Afghanistan -- Times Online
Obama: Exit is not an option -- Politico
ANALYSIS-US troop build-up in Afghanistan may be gaining favor -- Reuters

Rocket attack kills 2 civilians, wounds 25 more in S Afghanistan -- China View
FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan, Oct 7 -- Reuters
US: Insurgents breached base during Kamdesh battle -- AP
NATO Says Afghan Battle Proved Costly for Militants -- New York Times
'More than 100' enemy killed during Nuristan battle: US military -- Long War Journal
Afghan Taliban say they pose no threat to the West -- Reuters
Afghan outlook bleak as Taliban grabs territory -- Newsday
Al-Qaida showing smaller presence in Afghanistan -- AP

Britain Is Mired in Its Own Debate Over Troop Levels in Afghanistan -- New York Times
Gordon Brown's 'dithering' leads to longer tours for Afghanistan troops -- The Telegraph

Afghan watchdog alters vote recount after criticism -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Afghans Await Troop Plan, Election Result -- CBS
Are Pentagon contracts funding the Taliban? -- Reuters

Commentaries And Analysis

Eight Years On in Afghanistan, Can the U.S. Still Win? -- Time Magazine
Behind Afghan War Debate, a Battle of Two Books Rages -- Wall Street Journal
Beijing’s Afghan Gamble -- Robert Kaplan, New York Times opinion
It's not how many troops Barack Obama sends to Afghanistan that matters, it's what he does with them -- Con Coughlin, The Telegraph
Obama and the General -- Wall Street Journal editorial