He developed a strategy that made clear that our number-one priority, the reason why we are in Afghanistan, is because of al Qaeda, and that our number-one objective for our mission in Afghanistan is to disrupt, dismantle, and ultimately defeat al Qaeda, and that all other objectives that are secondary to that help support the primary objective.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

The point you raise was I think discussed in the public arena at the time, and I think that it goes to the reason why the President has focused his Afghanistan strategy on the original objective.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing