Obama, advisers weigh Afghanistan shift, Pakistan

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Source: AP

Obama, advisers weigh Afghanistan shift, Pakistan

By JENNIFER LOVEN (AP) – 34 minutes ago

WASHINGTON — The Afghanistan war reached its once-unthinkable eighth anniversary Wednesday as President Barack Obama, seeking a revamped strategy for the increasingly unpopular conflict, focused more closely with his war council on neighboring Pakistan in the fight against al-Qaida.

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Wednesday's three-hour meeting in the Situation Room between Obama and more than two dozen officials who make up his war council was the third of five currently scheduled. The next is Friday, concentrating on Afghanistan — though it could also include McChrystal's report. The final discussion is slated for next week.

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Wednesday's focus on Pakistan, the suspected hiding place of bin Laden and other al-Qaida terrorists as well as Taliban leaders, could provide a hint into the president's leanings.

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Further, the vast majority of the U.S. aid to Pakistan is believed to be diverted from its intended purpose of battling militants. A bill awaiting Obama's signature would triple U.S. aid to Pakistan to $1.5 billion a year while attaching conditions aimed at stopping that diversion. Those protections, however, have prompted fresh complaints in Pakistan about Washington meddling.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iqyaFh_efr-brDq0rMLF1hkop0tgD9B6H1T01

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We maybe looking at some job losses in the diverter of funds industry in Pakistan. But maybe not.