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AFGHANISTAN/US POLICY DECISION- Well we don’t exactly know what has been decided but we know when we’ll know. President Obama will address the nation next Tuesday with the details of his decision. Jake Tapper, filing for WORLD NEWS this evening, reports that “White House sources tell ABC NEWS that President Obama has not pulled the trigger on his final decision but officials expect he will request roughly 34 thousand new US troops.” The President spoke about Afghanistan at his joint WH appearance earlier today with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh noting “It is my intention to finish the job”. While noting that the President didn’t provide much detail on “the job”, Tapper said that the President “provided a preview of his strategy, suggesting that rooting out al-Qaeda and affiliated terrorists-not nation building-will be the priority.” President Obama’s address next week will be delivered to a nation increasingly critical of his handling of the war in Afghanistan, Tapper notes “with 48% expressing disapproval, 45% expressing approval in the latest ABC NEWS/WASHINGTON POST poll”. The President says he’s confident Americans will be supportive when they “hear a clear rationale for what we are doing there”. Tapper notes that “the last few war council meetings were largely devoted to the President pressing the Pentagon and other agencies for benchmarks for the Afghan government to meet in terms of good governance, anti-corruption efforts, and troop training and what he called off-ramps…ways for the US to exit if those benchmarks are not met.” One wild card-how to pay for the war effort. Tapper says that “Budget Chief Peter Orszag’s presence at the table last night was not a coincidence, with the President and Congress raising concerns about the cost of an influx of troops-estimated at roughly $1 million per troop per year.” Charles Gibson talked with George Stephanopoulos after Tapper’s report suggesting the President has “got a sales job to do on the public and to some extent his own Democrats in Congress.” Stephanopoulos concurred noting “there’s more opposition (with the Dems in Congress) than among Republicans.” As for the public, Stephanopoulos says “what the President has to do in the speech is explain why we’re there right now, how the strategy is going to be different, and how that’s going to get us out. “ As for a battle with Congress, Stephanopoulos notes “It’s all about the money, Charlie. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said today that there’s great unrest in the Democratic caucus over the question-can we afford this war?” As for Congressman David Obey’s call for a new tax to pay for the war, Stephanopoulos doesn’t see it, saying “you have broad majorities about Democrats and Republicans who want no new taxes of any kind right now.”

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