Gibbs: U.S. Is Not Leaving Afghanistan

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs
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Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday afternoon that despite all the debate over the war in Afghanistan “the President was exceedingly clear that no part of the conversation” involved “leaving Afghanistan.”

“That’s not something that has ever been entertained,” Gibbs said. “That’s not a decision that’s on the table to make.”

Gibbs also confirmed that President Obama will meet Tuesday with “bipartisan, bicameral leaders of Congress and committee chairs and ranking members on our Afghanistan review.”

Gibbs said the intent of the meeting is to “walk them through where we are in the process and solicit their views.”

As for the ongoing noise about whether Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal erred in giving a speech in London last week that advocated his assessment of the war and request for more troops, Gibbs insisted that McChrystal’s outspokenness isn’t an issue. “I don’t think it detracts from it,” Gibbs said of McChrystal’s speech’s effect on the process of reviewing Afghan strategy.

Pushed on whether Obama asked Gen. McChrystal during their meeting last week to dial back his public comments on Afghanistan strategy, Gibbs said, “the President had a very constructive meeting about what’s going on in Afghanistan and not what’s going on on cable television.”

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