Obama's Speech Will Address Withdrawal

President Barack Obama will finally reveal the next step for the U.S. military and its strategy in the war against Afghanistan on Tuesday. Administration officials have said that Obama will announce Tuesday night an increase of 30,000 troops, but will also stress that the U.S. will ultimately pull out of the region and hand the reins over to the Kabul government. Though Obama is expected to focus on withdrawal, officials say that the U.S. won’t be leaving any time soon, in part to relieve Pakistani fears of abandonment and takeover by India. Lawmakers on both sides differ on how expressly Obama should address an exit strategy, with some pushing for a definite end to the eight-year war and others warning that doing so would send a message that the U.S. wouldn't be staying until the mission in Afghanistan is accomplished.