Last week, an item I posted here so intrigued Ron Brynaert, the executive editor at The Raw Story, that he spent the better part of a day tracking down references to the "worst of the worst" quote in an effort to find out who originally said it about detainees at Guantanamo.

As you may recall, my post was triggered by a phone inquiry from Donald Rumsfeld's office to Carol Rosenberg, who's covered Guantanamo from the beginning. Rumsfeld's office wanted to know when the then Secretary of Defense, who's widely credited with coining the phrase, had spoken those words; Rumsfeld's staff had yet to find it in any transcript. Rosenberg told the caller that she didn't think Rumsfeld had ever said it; she credits the phrase to Marine Brig. Gen. Michael Lehnert, who was the Guantanamo detention center commander when the first prisoners arrived on Jan. 11, 2002.

In an e-mail message to me, Brynaert said that the first published reference he could find to the words was in fact a Rosenberg story attributing them to "the Marine commander." That story ran on Jan. 20, 2002. (The back story here: Rosenberg recorded the phrase and Lehnert attribution in her notes on the arrival of the first prisoners, but didn't use them in her first story because, she said, it didn't seem like a particularly insightful comment and she had much to say in limited space.)

The next reference Brynaert found was a Jan. 23, 2002, transcript of a White House press briefing in which spokesman Ari Fleischer, in response to a question about the prisoners, said, "These are not mere innocents, these are among the worst of the worst." That story was followed five days later by an American Forces Press Service story, published on the Pentagon's Web site Jan. 28, 2002. That story has the words coming from Rear Adm. John D. Stufflebeem, who at the time was the Pentagon's primary briefer on operations in Afghanistan. "They are bad guys," the story quoted Stufflebeem as saying, referring to prisoners in both Afghanistan and Guantanamo. "They are the worst of the worst, and if let out on the street, they will go back to the proclivity of trying to kill Americans and others."

So when does Rumsfeld come into the picture? According to Brynaert's research, not until Oct. 23, 2002, in a New York Times story that claims Rumsfeld used the phrase "earlier this year." When precisely isn't said. Brynaert suggests that Rumsfeld "most probably used it off the record at some point." Maybe, but I'm betting not. As his staff apparently has discovered, Rumsfeld never actually uttered the phrase.

Does it matter? As Brynaert noted in his e-mail to me, "since Cheney used it the other month and other Bush officials and Pentagon officials have used it since, it appears to be a talking point." Clearly. But it's such a touchstone quote, wouldn't it be good for history to know its origin?

And it wasn't a very accurate observation. As Rosenberg pointed out in a story she did Jan. 17, 2008, of the 20 prisoners who arrived aboard the first flight to Guantanamo, prompting Lehnert's description, only one has been charged with a war crime -- the Australian David Hicks, who's served his time and is at home in Australia. Six others were released or transferred out of the prison; 12 others, as far as is known, remain at Guantanamo, but uncharged. As for No. 20, Rosenberg's never been able to figure out who he was, amid suggestions that he might have been an informant, aboard the flight to spy on the other 19.

Whether you call it dithering or call it thoughtful deliberations. Either way, it’s done.

President Obama gave the orders at 5 pm Sunday to start putting his new strategy for Afghanistan into effect.

He gave the go-ahead in an Oval Office meeting with Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Gen. James Cartwright, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Gen. David Petraeus of the U.S. Central Command, National Security Advisrer Gen. James Jones and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Obama followed at 6 pm with a teleconference from the White House Situation Room with Afghanistan commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal and US Amb. Karl Eikenberry.

Obama, who’s scheduled to tell the country of his Afghanistan plans Tuesday evening, was calling world leaders Monday, including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicholas Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama planned to call Afghan President Hamid Karzai later Monday or Tuesday.

He planned to meet at the White House with about 30 top leaders of both parties from Congress Tuesday afternoon, shortly before leaving for West Point, New York, where he planned to deliver his prime time speech.

Carol Rosenberg, who covers Guantanamo for The Miami Herald and McClatchy (find her work here), reports an interesting phone inquiry from the office of Don Rumsfeld, the secretary of defense when the infamous prison complex for terrorist suspects was set up in 2002.

When, Rumsfeld's office wanted to know, did the then SecDef refer to the detainees there as the "worst of the worst?" They'd searched every transcript they could and couldn't find the reference.

That's because, Rosenberg told them, she's pretty certain Rumsfeld never used those words. The person who actually coined that phrase, Rosenberg believes, was then Marine Brig. Gen. Michael Lehnert, who was the detention center's first commander. Asked who these people were coming from Afghanistan, Lehnert called them "the worst of the worst." Rosenberg put the comment in her pool report about the detainees' arrival at Guantanamo. The report was distributed to other journalists.

So how has Rumsfeld gotten credit for the line all these years? Rosenberg says that at a Dec. 27, 2001, briefing Rumsfeld called Guantanamo "the least worst place" for detainees picked up in Afghanistan, and  history, and a few journalists, simply have confused the two references.

  President Barack Obama will travel to Copenhagen next month to attend a global summit on climate change, White House officials said Wednesday.

  Obama will join the summit on Dec. 9 as part of a trip to Scandinavia to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway.

  Obama had not committed to attending the climate summit, but had said throughout this recent trip to Asia that he and world leaders need to keep working toward an international pact to reduce the emissions that cause climate change.

  United Nations officials welcomed word that Obama would join other world leaders at the meeting.

  “It's critical that President Obama attends the climate change summit in Copenhagen,” Yvo de Boer, head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, said in Oslo.

  Environmentalists once hoped the summit would produce an international agreement to reduce emissions, with specific targets and hard timetables.

  That now appears less likely, and backers suggest the Copenhagen summit will serve as the first of a two-step process toward a treaty. The U.S. plans to propose specific targets at the summit, though it will have to hinge its promises on Congressional approval of a climate bill here. The legislation is tied up in the Senate.
 

Here's the guest list for tonight's State Dinner at the White House:

Below is a list of expected attendees at tonight’s State Dinner:

The President & First Lady Michelle Obama

Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister, India & Ms. Gursharan Kaur

The Honorable (Rep) Gary Ackerman, United States Representative

Mr. Sant Singh Chatwal (Guest)

His Excellency Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation

Mr. Mukesh D Ambani

Mr. Tim Dutta (Spouse of Ms. Pia Awal)

The Honorable (Mr.) David Axelrod, White House Communications

Mrs. Susan Axelrod

Ms. Preeta Bansal, OMB - General Counsel

The Honorable (Ms.) Melody Barnes, Domestic Policy Council

Mr. Marland E. Buckner

The Honorable (Rep.) Howard Berman, United States Representative (D/California)

Mrs. Jane Berman, Spouse of United States Representative (D/California)

Mr. Om Prakash Bhatt

Mr. Hunter Biden

Mrs. Kathleen Biden

The Honorable (Vice President) Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Vice President of the United States

Dr. Jill Biden

Mr. Robert O Blake, Jr., Assistant Sec for South and Central Asian Affairs, State Department

Mrs. Sofia Blake

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York, NY

Ms. Diana Taylor

The Honorable (Mr.) John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Deputy National Security Advisor for Counterterrorism, Homeland Security Council

Mrs. Katherine Brennan

The Honorable (Ms.) Lisa Brown, Office of Staff Secretary

Mr. Kevin Cullen

Mr. Donald Browne

Ms. Maria Junqera

The Honorable (Ms.) Carol Browner, Energy and Climate Change

The Honorable (Mr.) Tom Downey

Mr. William Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Department of State

Ms. Lisa Carty

General James E Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Mrs. Sandee Cartwright

The Honorable (Senator) Bob Casey, United States Senator (D/Pennsylvania)

Mrs. Terese Casey, United States Senate Spouse (D/Pennsylvania)

Mr. Rajiv Chandrasekaran

Mrs. Julie Chandrasekaran

Mr. I.S. Chaturvedi, Personal Secretary to the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation

Senator Satveer Chaudhry, State Senator

Colonel Ravi Chaudhry (Guest)

Ms. Rohini Chopra

Mr. Deepak Chopra

Mrs. Rita Chopra

The Honorable (Secretary) Steven Chu, Secretary of the Department of Energy

Mrs. Jean Chu

The Honorable (Secretary) Hillary R. Clinton, Secretary of State

The Honorable (Rep.) James E. Clyburn, United States Representative (D/South Carolina)

Mrs. Emily Clyburn

The Honorable (Senator) Kent Conrad, United States Senator (D/North Dakota)

Ms. Lucy Calutti, United States Senate Spouse (D/North Dakota)

Mr. David Cote

Ms. Katie Couric

Mr. Brooks L Perlin

Mr. Greg Craig, Assistant to the President and Counsel to the President

Mrs. Margaret D Craig

Mrs. Paula Crown

Mr. Jim Crown

The Honorable (Rep.) Elijah Cummings, United States Representative (D/Maryland)

Mrs. Maya Rockeymoore

Senator Swati Dandekar, State Senator

Mr. Arvind Dandekar

Mr. Rajesh De, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice

Nancy Ann DeParle, Office of Health Reform

Mr. Jason P DeParle

Ms. Bhairavi Desai

Javaid Tariq

Dr. Vishakha N. Desai

Robert Oxman

The Honorable (Senator) Chris Dodd, United States Senator (D/Connecticut)

Mrs. Jackie Clegg Dodd

Mr. John Doerr

The Honorable (Mr.) Thomas Donilon, Assistant to the President, Deputy National Security Advisor, NSC

Ms. Cathy Russell

The Honorable Anita Dunn, White House Communications Director

Mr. Bob Bauer

Mr. Ari Emanuel

Mrs. Sarah Emanuel

The Honorable (Mr.) Rahm Emanuel, Chief of Staff to the President

Ms. Amy Rule

The Honorable (Mr.) Jon Favreau, Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting

Ms. Sarah Feinberg, Office of the Chief of Staff

The Honorable (Mayor) Adrian Fenty, Mayor of the District of Columbia

Mrs. Michelle Fenty

Ms. Michelle Flournoy

Mr. Thomas Friedman

Mrs. Ann Friedman

The Honorable (Mr.) Mike Froman, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs, NSC

Dr. Ashok S Ganguly

The Honorable (Mr.) Patrick Gaspard, Office of Political Affairs

Mrs. Raina Washington

The Honorable Robert Gates

Ms. Charlene Gaynor

Mr. Richard Heiss

Mr. David Geffen

Mr. Jeremy Lingvall

The Honorable (Secretary) Timothy F. Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury

Ms. Carole Sonnenfeld

The Honorable (Mr.) Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary

Mr. Anish Goel, Acting Senior Director, South Asia Affairs, NSC

Mr. Senapathy Gopalakrishnan

Mr. Mark Gorenberg

Ms. Wendy Wanderman

Mr. John Gorman

Mrs. Tamra Gorman

Representative Jay Goyal, State Representative

Kiran Goyal

Representative Raj Goyle, State Representative

Mrs. Monica Arora

The Honorable (Governor) Jennifer Granholm, Governor of Michigan (D)

Mr. Daniel Mulhern, First Gentleman of Michigan

Mr. Earl G. Graves

Mrs. Barbara Graves

Ms. Geeta Rao Gupta

Mr. Arvind Gupta

Mr. Raj Gupta

Mr. Rajat Gupta

Mrs. Anita M Gupta

Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Mrs. Rebecca Olson Gupta

Mr. Lee Hamilton

Mrs. Nancy Hamilton

The Honorable (Ms.) Kamala Harris

Ms. Maya Harris

Mr. Kamil Hassan

Mrs. Talat Hassan

Mr. George Haywood

Mrs. Cheryl J Haywood

The Honorable Fred Hochberg, Export-Import Bank

Thomas P Healy

The Honorable (Rep.) Paul Hodes, United States Representative (D/New Hampshire)

Mrs. Margaret Hodes

The Honorable (Attorney General) Eric Holder, United States Attorney General, Department of Justice

Dr. Sharon Malone, MD

Dr. John P. Holdren

Dr. Cheryl E Holdren

The Honorable (Rep.) Eleanor Holmes-Norton, United States of Representative (D/DC)

Mr. John Norton

Mr. Robert D Hormats, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs, State Department

Ms. Camille Massey

The Honorable (Rep) Steny Hoyer, United States Representative (D/Maryland)

Ms. Kathleen May

Mr. Chris Hughes

Mr. Sean S Eldridge

Mr. Jeff Immelt

The Honorable (Senator) Daniel Inouye, United States Senator (D/Hawaii)

Ms. Irene Hirano, United States Senate Spouse (D/Hawaii)

Mrs. Deepa Iyer

Mr. Parag Khandhar

Mr. Vasudeva Iyer

The Honorable (Administrator) Lisa Jackson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency

        Mr. Kenneth Jackson

The Honorable (Ms.) Valerie Jarrett, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor

The Honorable (Governor) Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana

        Mrs. Supriya Jindal, First Lady of Louisiana

The Honorable (General) James Jones, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor

Mrs. Diane Jones

Mrs. Ann Jordan

        Mr. Vernon Jordan

Mr. Anil Kakani

Mr. Farooq Kathwari

Mrs. Farida Kathwari

Mr. Neal Katyal, Principal Deputy Solicitor General, Office of the Solicitor General

Mr. Jeffrey Katzenberg

Mrs. Marilyn Katzenberg

Ms. Maneesha Kelkar, Manavi

        Vinay Vaishampayan

The Honorable (Senator) John Kerry, United States Senator (D/Massachusetts)

Dr. Harish Khare, Media Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, Indian Delegation

The Honorable (Mr.) Bradley Kiley, Office of Management and Administration

Mr. James Coley, Jr.

Ms. Gayle King

The Honorable (Ambassador) Ron Kirk, USTR

Mrs. Matrice Ellis-Kirk

The Honorable (Mr.) Ronald Klain, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President, Office of the Vice President

Mrs. Chanda D Kochhar

His Excellency S.M. Krishna, Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation

Ms. Gaitri Kumar, Joint Secretary (Americas), Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation

Mr. Vivek Kundra

Mrs. Jhumpa Lahiri

Mr. Alberto Vourvoulias

Mr. Marc Lasry

Cathy Lasry

Mr. Jacob Lew, Deputy Secretary, Department of State

The Honorable Gary Locke, Secretary of Commerce

Mrs. Mona Locke

The Honorable (Mr.) Christopher Lu, Cabinet Affairs

Ms. Kathryn Thomson

The Honorable (Senator) Richard Lugar, United States Senator (R/Indiana)

        Mrs. Char Lugar, United States Senate Spouse (R/Indiana)

Mr. Michael Lynton

        Ms. Elizabeth Jamie Alter

Mr. Surinder Malhotra

The Honorable (Chief of Protocol) Capricia Marshall

The Honorable (Ms.) Alyssa Mastromonaco, White House Office of Scheduling

Mr. Brian Mathis

        Mrs. Tracey Kemble

Ms. Kiran Mazumda-Shaw

The Honorable (Senator) Claire McCaskill, United States Senator (D/Missouri)

        Mr. Joseph Shepard, United States Senate Spouse

The Honorable (Rep) Jim McDermott, United States Representative (D/Washington)

        Mrs. Therese Marie Hansen

Mr. Zarin Mehta

        Ms. Carmen Lasky

The Honorable (Mr.) Jim Messina, Office of Chief of Staff

Mr. Judd Miner

        Mrs. Linda Miner

Mr. Newt Minow

    Mrs. Josephine Minow

Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal

Kalpen Modi, Associate Director, Office of Public Engagement

Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

        Mrs. Deborah Mullen

The Honorable (Secretary) Janet Napolitano, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security

His Excellency M.K. Narayanan, National Security Adviser of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation

Mr. Shantanu Narayen

        Mrs. Reni Narayen

Mr. Raju Narisetti

        Durga Raghunath

Mr. Martin Nesbitt

        Ms. Anita Blanchard

Mr. Konrad Ng

        Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng

Ms. Indra Nooyi

The Honorable (Rep) David Obey, United States Representative (D/Wisconsin)

        Mrs. Joan Obey

The Honorable (Mr.) Peter Orszag, Director, Office of Management & Budget

Mr. Jim Owens

        Ms. Katie Owens

Mr. Deepak Parekh

Mr. Eboo Patel

        Ms. Shehnez Mansuri

The Honorable (Governor) Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts (D)

        Mrs. Diane Patrick, First Lady of Massachusetts

The Honorable (Speaker) Nancy Pelosi, United States Representative (D/California) and Speaker of the House

        Mr. Paul Pelosi

Mr. Dan Pfeiffer, White House Office of Communications

Mr. Sam Pitroda

        Mrs. Anjana Pitroda

General Colin Powell

        Ms. Alma Powell

Dr. Rachakonda D Prabhu

        Dr. Lata Shete Prabhu

Mrs. Penny Pritzker

        Dr. Brian Traubert

Ms. Kavita Ramdas

Her Excellency Nirupama Rao, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation

Ms. Preetha Reddy

The Honorable (Governor) Edward Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania (D)

        The Honorable (Judge) Marjorie Rendell, First Lady of Pennsylvania

Mr. Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting

The Honorable (Ambassador) Susan Rice, United States Ambassador to the United Nations

        Mr. Ian Cameron

The Honorable (Governor) Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico (D)

        Mrs. Barbara Richardson, First Lady of New Mexico

Ms. Robin Roberts

Mrs. Marian Robinson

Ambassador Timothy Roemer, US Ambassador to India

        Mrs. Mary Johnston

Ms. Desiree Rogers, Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary

Mr. John Rogers

The Honorable (Dr.) Christina Romer, Chair, Council of Economic Advisers

Mr. Dennis Ross, NSC

The Honorable (Rep) Edward Randall Royce, United States Representative

        Marie Therese Royce

Mr. Michael Sacks

        Mrs. Cari Sacks

The Honorable (Rep.) Linda Sanchez, United States Representative (D/California)

        Mr. James Sullivan, Guest of Then Honorable Linda Sanchez

Mr. Pankaj Saran, Joint Secretary to the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation

His Excellency Shyam Saran, Special Envoy to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, Indian Delegation

Mr. Jaideep Sarkar, Personal Secretary to the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation

Mr. Parag Saxena

The Honorable (Rep.) Jan Schakowsky, United States Representative (D/Illinois)

        Mr. Robert Creamer

The Honorable (Mr.) Phil Schiliro, Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs          

Mrs. Jody Schiliro

Ms. Annetta Seecharran

        Seema Agnani

Mr. Stuart Seldowitz, Acting Director for South Asia, NSC

Dr. Amartya Sen

        Ms. Emma Georgina Rothschild

Under Secretary Rajiv J Shah, Under Secretary for Research, Education & Economics, Department of Agriculture

The Honorable Sonal Shah, Deputy Assist to the President, Director Office of SICP, Domestic Policy Council

Mr. Vinod Shah

Her Excellency Meera SHANKAR, Ambassador, India

The Honorable Susan Sher, Assistant to the President/Chief of Staff to the First Lady

        The Honorable (Mr.) Neil Cohen

Mr. M. Night Shyamalan

        Mrs. Bhavna Shyamalan

Ms. Amrit Singh

Mr. Analjit Singh

Mr. Arun K. Singh, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of India, Indian Delegation

Mr. Balvinder Singh

        Mr. Mohinder Singh

Mr. Lakhwinder Singh

        Mrs. Sukhbir Kaur

Ms. Upinder Singh

Mr. Steven Spielberg

Mr. Sri Srinivasan

Ms. Carla Garrett

Ms. Srinija Srinivasan

The Honorable (Mr.) Jim Steinberg, Deputy Secretary of State

        Ms. Sherburne Bradstreet

Mrs. Semonti Stephens, Deputy Press Secretary, Office of the First Lady

Mr. Andy Stern

        Ms. Anna Burger

Mrs. Jane Stetson

Mr. Bill Stetson

Honorable (Dr.) Larry Summers, Director, National Economic Council

        Dr. Elisa New

The Honorable (Ms.) Mona Sutphen, Office of Chief of Staff

        Mr. Clyde Williams

Mr. Ratan Tata

The Honorable (Ms.) Tina Tchen, Office of Public Liaison

Ambassador Vinai Thummalapally, Ambassador, Embassy of Belize

        Mrs. Barbara Thummalapally

Mr. Jim Torrey

        Ms. Rose P Lynch

Mr. Richard Trumka

        Mr. Paul H Lemmon

Ms. Urvashi Vaid

Ms. Kate Clinton

Mr. Kirk Wagar

Ms. Crystal Connor

Dr. Eric E. Whitaker

        Dr. Cheryl Whitaker

Mr. Brian Williams

Mrs. Jane Williams

Mr. Wellington Wilson

    Mrs. Wilson

Mr. Neal Wolin, Deputy Secretary, Department of Treasury

Ms. Alfre Woodard

Mr. Blair E Underwood

Mr. Fareed Zakaria

        Ms. Paula Throckmorton Zakaria

Actor, writer, producer Tyler Perry has donated $1 million to the NAACP, the largest gift the civil rights organization has ever received from an individual entertainer in its 100-year history. NAACP officials said Perry - who has earned millions over the years from writing, producing or directing movies and plays like "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," "Madea Goes to Jail" and television shows like "Tyler Perry's House ofPayne" - said the donation made this week was to commemorate the NAACP's 100th anniversary.

In addtion to the money, Perry also purchased several NAACP-commisioned lithographs by artists Jacob Lawrence, Jonathan Green, Elizabeth Callett, and Sam Gilliem. The $1 million gift, which will be distributed over four years, will be used to support advocacy programs on criminal justice, health care and education, NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous said. 

"I feel so honored and blessed to be in a position where I can give to the NAACP," said Perry, who went from being homeless to owning 200,000-square-foot movie and television studio in Atlanta. "Had it not been for the perseverance and vision of the thousands who came before me in this legenday organization, I would not be in the position I am in today."

NAACP officials were thrilled with Perry's gift. "This is a paradigm shifting moment in black philanthropy," NAACP Senior Vice President Maxim Thorne said. "Here is a civil rights organization that is receiving a donation that is usually targeted at education or cultural institutions. Tyler Perry is setting a high standard for others to follow."

Perry has earned the reputation of being one of the hardest-working entertainers in show business for writing, producing, directing, and/or starring in morality-themed movies, plays and TV shows aimed at African-American audiences. Eight of his nine movies debuted at the top spot at the North American box office. He produces "Meet the Browns" and "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" for TBS. He even had a small role on-screen role in this year's "Star Trek" movie.

Perry hasn't been shy about wading into social issues. When he saw a television news report in July about a group of African-American and Latino summer campers who were ousted from private swim club in subuarban Philadelphia after complaints by white members, Perry paid to send the children on a three-day trip to Disney World in Orlando in August.

President Obama made that prediction just now in a very short joint news conference with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But Obama wouldn't take the bait when CBS News' Mark Knoller urged him - since he's now made up his mind about how much to increase troop levels - to just break the suspense and make his announcement now until dragging it out until next week.

Obama scolded that he'd make the announcement "soon" but not today and to the American people, not just the press corps (not that Knoller had suggested otherwise).

"After eight years, some of those years in which we did not have I think either the resources or the strategy to get the job done, it is my intention to finish the job," the president said.

"When the American people hear a clear rationale for what we’re doing there . . . they will be supportive," he predicted.

"That’s a sufficient preview to last until after Thanksgiving, Mark – after Thanksgiving."

The announcement is expected next Tuesday. No chance to ask Singh what details President Obama privately shared with him about a decision that, because it involves Pakistan, will very much affect India as well.

After his 9th meeting with his war council, President Obama will announce his decosion to send more troops to Afghanistan in a few days.

“After completing a rigorous final meeting, President Obama has the information he wants and needs to make his decision and he will announce that decision within days," said White House Press Secretary in a statement early Tuesday morning.

McClatchy's Jonathan S. Landay, John Wolcott an Nancy Youseff report -- as they did some time ago -- that he's settled on sending 34,000 more troops. They also report that he'll announce the decisin Dec. 1.

President Obama has added another meeting to his schedule today to talk about the Aghanistan strategy.

The 8 pm meeting will be in the White House Situation Room. It will be his 9th on the subject.

The guest list, from the White House:

Vice President Biden
Secretary of State Clinton
Secretary of Defense Gates
Ambassador Susan Rice, Permanent U.S. Representative to the United Nations
Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg
Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
Under Secretary of Defense Michele Flournoy
Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General James E. Cartwright, USMC, Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
General David Petraeus, U.S. Central Command
General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Commander in Afghanistan (via videoconference)
Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan (via videoconference)
Anne Patterson, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan (via videoconference)
General James Jones, National Security Advisory
Tom Donilon, Deputy National Security Advisor
John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security
Lieutenant General Douglas Lute, Special Assistant to the President for Afghanistan and Pakistan