Obama reportedly ponders 'zero option' in Afghanistan

President Obama and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, earlier this year. (Photo: Charles Dharapak, AP)

President Obama is still considering the 'zero option' in Afghanistan -- no U.S. troops there after 2014.

While the two countries have talked about keeping a residual U.S. force in Afghanistan after combat operations end in 2014, The New York Times reports Tuesday that Obama is 'giving serious consideration' to pulling out all U.S. troops after next year because of frustration over his dealings with Afghanistan counterpart Hamid Karzai.

The latest source of Obama-Karzai friction: New U.S. peace talks with the Taliban.

Administration officials have discussed the possibility of the so-called 'zero option' in Afghanistan throughout the year.

During a conference call with reporters in January, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said 'we wouldn't rule out any option' on post-2014 troop levels, including zero.

'The U.S. does not have an inherent objective of 'X' number of troops in Afghanistan,' Rhodes said at that time.

'Mr. Obama is committed to ending America's military involvement in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, and Obama administration officials have been negotiating with Afghan officials about leaving a small 'residual force' behind. But his relationship with Mr. Karzai has been slowly unraveling, and reached a new low after an effort last month by the United States to begin peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar.

'Mr. Karzai promptly repudiated the talks and ended negotiations with the United States over the long-term security deal that is needed to keep American forces in Afghanistan after 2014.

'A videoconference between Mr. Obama and Mr. Karzai designed to defuse the tensions ended badly, according to both American and Afghan officials with knowledge of it. Mr. Karzai, according to those sources, accused the United States of trying to negotiate a separate peace with both the Taliban and their backers in Pakistan, leaving Afghanistan's fragile government exposed to its enemies.'