Obama Talks To Military Heads About Iraq and Afghanistan

Aside from the stimulus bill, Obama's meeting today with military leaders:

CNN: Obama will be sitting down with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to get what the White House calls a "comprehensive view of the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan and the impact on our forces."

The administration plans to decrease troop deployment in Iraq and focus on the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, an environment that Adm. Michael Mullen, the head of the Joint Chiefs, says "grows increasingly perilous every day."

Robert Gates says Afghanistan is now the priority:

Going after drug labs and drug lords:

Afghans are very skeptical:

Obama To Keep Promise on Day One

 
On Wednesday, Obama's first official day of work as president, he will meet with military leaders and discuss withdrawal from Iraq. Throughout the campaign, he repeated over and over that on Day One, he would gather the Joints Chiefs of Staff and get a withdrawal plan in order. This makes me very happy.

Incoming President Barack Obama is planning to meet with top military leaders on Wednesday to discuss the war in Iraq and move to begin implementing his campaign promise of removing all combat troops within 16 months, according to two transition officials familiar with the matter.

The meeting with the Joints Chief of Staff and other top military commanders will be on Obama's first full day in office, which suggests the new President wants to send a signal to supporters that despite his heavy focus on the financial crisis he will also address Iraq early in the new administration. CNN