Obama Asks For Afghan Exit Strategy Details; Questions Continue About Hasan

Good morning.

Since last evening there have been more developments on the story of how many — if any — additional U.S. troops President Barack Obama may decide to send to Afghanistan.

As NPR's Mary Louise Kelly reports, the president " is pushing his national security team for more detail about an exit strategy for U.S. forces fighting in Afghanistan." Administration officials tell her that during a 2 1/2 meeting yesterday with his top advisers, the president "pushed his team for more detail about an exit strategy for U.S. forces. They said he wants to make clear to the Afghan government that the U.S. commitment is not open-ended."

As we reported yesterday, there are said to be four options on the table at this time and the president's military advisers favor adding about 40,000 troops — most of them American, but perhaps some from NATO partners.

Here's how Mary Louise summed up the current state of play on Morning Edition:

Staying on that subject, The Washington Post broke the story that "the U.S. ambassador in Kabul sent two classified cables to Washington in the past week expressing deep concerns about sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan until President Hamid Karzai's government demonstrates that it is willing to tackle the corruption and mismanagement that has fueled the Taliban's rise, senior U.S. officials said." The ambassador is retired Gen. Karl Eikenberry, who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007.

The Wall Street Journal ties the threads together this way: "President Barack Obama expressed fresh doubts about the credibility of Afghanistan's government in high-level discussions Wednesday over what troops to send there, after his ambassador to Kabul warned against any reinforcements until the Afghan regime cracks down on corruption."

And The New York Times adds that "In Leaning On Karzai, U.S. Has Limited Leverage".

Other stories making headlines this morning include:

— Morning Edition — "Hasan's Psychological Health Raised Concerns". NPR's Daniel Zwerdling followed up his reporting from yesterday (that colleagues of Fort Hood shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Hasan were concerned that he might be psychotic) with more details about Hasan's past and the Army's concerns about both his psychological state and his job performance. Here's the conversation Daniel had with ME's Steve Inskeep:

Thirteen people were killed — 12 of them military personnel — in last Thursday's rampage at the Army post.

— ABC News — When Hasan Bought A Gun, Authorities Didn't Share Information. "Sources tell ABC News that in August 2009, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan walked into the Guns Galore gun store in Killeen, Texas, and legally purchased the FN Herstal tactical pistol that authorities believe was used to massacre soldiers at Fort Hood. An FBI background check under the National Instant Background Check System was done when Hasan purchased the pistol — but that information was never shared with the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Washington, which was aware that Hasan had repeatedly contacted a radical imam suspected of having ties to al-Qaida."

— Morning Edition — "Fort Hood Survivor Recalls Day Of Deadly Shooting". "Staff Sgt. Paul Martin was in the Soldier Readiness Center at Fort Hood, Texas, waiting to receiving a final medical checkup before shipping out to Iraq. That's when Maj. Nidal Hasan allegedly jumped on a table and opened fire with a semi-automatic handgun." He ended up being shot four times. When the first bullet struck him, "I grabbed my arm and I realized, I ain't never been hit that hard. ... I said, 'Golly, this hurts.' "

— The Wall Street Journal — "Wal-Mart Posts Higher Net Despite Weak Sales": "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 3.2% as profit for the world's largest retailer topped expectations despite a 0.1% drop in U.S. same-store sales. President and Chief Executive Mike Duke attributed the profit growth to improved productivity and inventory management."