WASHINGTON — The top military commander in Afghanistan is asking for up to 80,000 more American troops even as he warns that rampant government corruption there may prevent victory against the Taliban and al-Qaida, according to U.S. officials briefed on his conclusions.

A still-secret document by Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal that requests more troops is expected to be among the topics discussed Wednesday when President Barack Obama meets with his national security team to hash out a strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Even with additional troops, McChrystal concluded that corruption still could let terrorists turn Afghanistan back into a haven, according to officials at the Pentagon and White House.

His request outlines three options for additional troops — from as many as 80,000 to as few as 10,000 — but favors a compromise of 40,000 more forces, the officials said. They described it to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Each option carries a high risk of failing, according to U.S. officials, although they said McChrystal concluded that fewer troops will bring the highest risks.

Obama said Tuesday that he will decide in "the coming weeks" on a war strategy and the troops needed to carry it out. Though he said military and security concerns are key parts of his decision, "another element is making sure we're doing a good job in building capacity on the civilian side."

"Our principal goal remains: Root out al-Qaida and its extremist allies that can launch attacks against the United States or its allies," the president said.

There are 67,000 American troops in Afghanistan, and 1,000 more are headed there by the end of December.