Afghan war

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama has asked for a reworking of the series of plans he's considering regarding U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan.

Obama was said to be reviewing four plans about U.S. participation in the fighting in Afghanistan. He has committed about 68,000 U.S. service personnel to be in Afghanistan by the end of the year. U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal several weeks ago asked for an additional 40,000 troops.

But with public support, as shown in polling, for such an increase weak, Obama is said to be looking at plans that would allow for smaller increases in deployments.

The highest-ranking U.S. civilian in Afghanistan, Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, has questioned any additional troop levels, saying it is unclear how the United States can work effectively with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The Afghan government is believed to be rife with corruption, a situation Karzai promised to work on after he won a second term in office.

The White House has been moving very deliberatively on the issue of troop levels -- McChrystal's request was sent to civilian leaders Aug. 30. After Wednesday's meeting, which included Eikenberry's participation by video conference, the administration said it would make clear to Karzai that "our commitment is not open-ended" and that "governance in Afghanistan must improve in a reasonable period of time to ensure a successful transition to our Afghan partner."