Obama meets with officials on Iraq

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. President Obama has given his national security team its marching orders to begin planning an end to the war in Iraq but set no timetable, officials said.

In the first full day of his presidency, Obama summoned senior civilian and uniformed officials, including Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top commander of American forces in the Middle East, to the White House Wednesday to discuss their new mission.

Senior officials said the session did not deal with specific withdrawal proposals but rather a broad discussion of the political climate and security situation.

Obama had promised during his campaign to pull troops out of Iraq within 16 months. But, he told his team he needed time to hear concerns and options from military commanders before setting a date, The New York Times said Thursday.

Obama said he instructed the military leadership to "engage in additional planning necessary to execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq." He said he also ordered "a full review" of the situation in Afghanistan,

Military planners are reported to have prepared a series of possible withdrawal plans described as ranging "from conservative to aggressive," including one proposal matching the president's 16-month target.