"It's Good To Be Commander-In-Chief" -- President Obama

President Obama with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., left, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Wednesday at the Pentagon. Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse

Obama Says Tough Decisions Soon On Iraq,
Afghan Wars -- Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States must make tough decisions soon about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday after receiving his first briefing from the heads of the U.S. armed forces.

Obama, who is weighing accelerating the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and boosting U.S. forces in Afghanistan, was speaking after a nearly two-hour meeting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon.

"We are going to have some difficult decisions that we are going to have to make, surrounding Iraq and Afghanistan most immediately," the president said.

Obama will make a statement "relatively shortly" on the speed of troop withdrawals from Iraq and on overhauling the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told a news conference earlier.

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President Obama Meets The Joint Chiefs At The Pentagon

Obama Seeks Accord With Military on Iraq -- New York Times
Obama meets with Joint Chiefs at Pentagon -- L.A. Times
It's Good To Be Commander-In-Chief -- CBS News
Obama Says After First Pentagon Visit: Tough Decisions In Afghanistan, Iraq -- AHN
Obama, joint chiefs meet on defense issues -- UPI
At Pentagon, Obama Expresses Gratitude, Listens to Concerns -- Washington Post
Obama meets with US defence chiefs -- Press Association
Obama makes first official Pentagon visit -- AFP
Obama heads to Pentagon for straight talk with commanders -- CNN