US President Barack Obama will brief Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh along with other world leaders by tomorrow on his new Af-Pak policy that is expected to cover sending thousands of more troops to fight Taliban insurgency and outline an exit strategy. Obama's call to Dr. Singh will take place close on the heels of the two leaders' meeting in Washington during which the Afghan issue was discussed prominently. Dr. Singh had said it is important for all major regional and international players to put their weight behind the Afghan government.<br/><br/>Obama had highlighted the importance of tackling violence and extremism emanating from the region in a serious way.<br/><br/>White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the President would be making several calls to world leaders today and tomorrow to brief them on the issue. <br/><br/>Obama's new approach is likely to focus on ensuring that the Taliban is prevented from holding control on the Afghan government and from providing safe haven to extremists to plot terrorist activities.<br/><br/>At his press briefing, Gibbs said the new Af-Pak policy would come with an exit strategy and not an open-ended commitment. <br/><br/>More than 100,000 US and NATO troops are in Afghanistan, and the President is expected to announce the addition of over 30,000 more US troops to support the war effort. The additional troops will bolster the already 68,000 US troops positioned along the Pakistan border and in the south, where the fighting is the most fierce.<br/><br/>
News On AIR | December 1, 2009 2:04 PM
Obama to brief PM, other leaders on new Af-Pak policy