Afghanistan: Obama Weighs All Afghanistan Options in Meeting Generals --- The Obama administration is considering its options to withdraw some or all U.S. forces from Afghanistan as time runs out for a new security agreement, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said. -- “They’re planning for all options,” Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said after a closed-door briefing today with defense officials at the Capitol. “They have to.” -- With Afghan President Hamid Karzai balking at signing a security pact with the U.S., President Barack Obama has scheduled a meeting in the Oval Office today with his top defense advisers to review Afghanistan strategy. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Marine General Joseph Dunford, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, are among those scheduled to attend. -- Obama has pledged to remove all American combat forces from Afghanistan by the end of this year, while leaving open the possibility of retaining a residual force to train the Afghan military and mount counterterrorism operations. As of Feb. 1, the U.S. had 34,000 troops in Afghanistan, the fewest since the 34,400 when Obama took office in 2009. -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s top commander, U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, said in an interview that several allied nations that have committed troops to Afghanistan can’t wait long to decide what role, if any, they will play after this year. In addition to the U.S., 27 NATO members have sent troops to Afghanistan. --- Levin rejected that argument, saying Karzai would have only himself to blame if the U.S. pulls out. -- “If he thinks we’re not going to be there, it’s his decision,” Levin said of Karzai. “He’s the one who’s not signing the bilateral agreement.” -- While Graham said he doesn’t expect Karzai to sign the security agreement, “we need to quit making deadlines if we’re not willing to enforce it.” --- Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told the House intelligence committee today that “over time, the Afghan National Army will have its challenges principally because of the loss of a lot of the intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance and aviation capability that will leave with U.S. troops in December.