Obama meets with war cabinet on Afghanistan strategy

President Barack Obama met Monday with his war cabinet for what could be the last time before he decides whether to dispatch more US troops to Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were present.

AFP - The White House on Tuesday signaled the end of months of deliberations on US strategy toward Afghanistan, announcing that President Barack Obama would reveal his decision within days.
   
"After completing a rigorous final meeting, President Obama has the information he wants and needs to make his decision and he will announce that decision within days," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
   
Late on Monday Obama held the ninth and last in a series of meetings with top commanders to examine the troubled war effort.
   
The results of those discussions are now widely expected to be made public next Tuesday, although a White House official said "nothing had been confirmed" about the timing of the announcement.
   
Obama has been weighing requests from the military top brass for tens of thousands of extra troops to be deployed.

Date created : 2009-11-24