It now has a permanent president of the European Council (representing national governments) and it is creating its own diplomatic service, which will need high-security premises.
At the meeting, Clinton stressed the need for the State Department to implement a review board's recommendations for improving the security at high-threat diplomatic posts, officials said.
Mr. Obama's decision last month to shift more quickly to an emphasis on training Afghan security forces and conducting fewer joint military operations has eased the need for high levels of troops, officials said.