In a meeting with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan today, President Obama received reports on U.S. efforts to train Afghan forces and strengthen the civilian mission, and got an update on the overall political and security situation.
Briefing reporters today, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said a decision on troop levels in Afghanistan will be made “in the coming weeks.”
This was the fifth meeting of the team, as the President works on a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is traveling this week, phoned into the meeting, and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Afghanistan Amb. Karl Eikenberry and Pakistan Amb. Anne Patterson attended the meeting via videoconference.
Also in attendance were Vice President Biden, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, UN Amb. Susan Rice, Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen, Gen. David Petraeus, National Intelligence Director Adm. Dennis Blair, CIA Director Leon Panetta, Gen. James Jones, Tom Donilon, John Brennan and Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute.
Gibbs also said the White House is “happy” that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he’d send 500 more troops to Afghanistan.
