A DECISION BY THE PRESIDENT.

The situation in Kabul is very unsettling and rather confusing under the present political circumstances, as the main opponent to the Karzai government has decided not to participate in the runoff presidential election in Afghanistan.

The country's election commission has canceled Saturday's presidential runoff election and proclaimed "President Hamid Karzai the victor of the war ravaged nation's tumultuous ballot.", and "Independent Election Commission chairman Azizullah Lodin announced Karzai as the victor during a news conference in Kabul on Monday.", according to media news reports.

That must have caused the White House to assess its approach to Karzai' s position, as he has now been declared "victor", and for a readjustment of its (WH) policies that have been suspended due to the runoff election, toward his government. Now that Abdullah Abdullah has withdrawn, he Karzai has to be the only person to deal with.

Yet, other aspects of the situation in Afghanistan have to come under tougher consideration, particularly for the fact that the war against the Taliban insurgency continued; and that the United States top military commanding officer conducting the strategies, with respect to the war, has made a request for more troops into that country.

President Obama has had that request reviewed, first, by himself, and then with the National Security Council, and other senior advisers and experts; and it remained for him to decide on whether the general's demand should be granted.

There is no doubt that more troops are required to sustain the Afghan war effort; but much of the opinion expressed by the advisers and experts to the president seems to be at variance with what the general and his commanders on the ground are asking for, and that continues to create a stalemate of sorts.

Some were waiting for a result to come out of the runoff election, and some were concluding that lesser number of troops were needed; and that debate has been going on in the Situation Room in the White House and elsewhere.

However, the runoff election has been canceled, and a new counterinsurgency plan against the Taliban and Al Qeada militants was still waiting to be implemented; the question still remained as to when a definite decision that would culminate into real action would be made by the president, so that the insurgents, who have already been emboldened by the length of time that was taking the U.S., judging from the number of casualties that were suffered in October, on meeting the general's demand.

Most Americans are not interfering with what their government is likely to do in confronting the enemy responsible for the 9/11 attacks; but they are committed to supporting their own troops, who are ready, willing and able to win the war in Afghanistan; and therefore they can only wait for a firm decision to be made by the Obama government; and the sooner the better.