ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Oct. 27, 2009
Obama Nears Decision on Afghanistan Troops
Spokesman Says President Is Weighing Information from Meetings ahead of Announcement "In Coming Weeks"
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Then-presidential candidate Barack Obama greets Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur L. Colman during a visit to Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 20, 2008. Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Oct. 27, 2009 that Obama is close to a decision on strategy and troop levels in the 8-year-old war. (AP)
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Photo Essay Kabul Bombing A powerful car bomb exploded outside the Indian Embassy in the busy center of Afghanistan's capital.
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Photo Essay Afghanistan Disabled The Red Cross orthopedic center in Kabul provides new limbs, wheelchairs and physical therapy for the victims of war and conflict.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that a planned meeting on Friday with the top four U.S. military officers, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will be among the last events in the decision-making process.
Special Report: Afghanistan
"I think the president will take some time after these meetings to pick through what he's heard, what we've all learned, and evaluate this process with what's best for our country, what's best for Afghanistan, Pakistan and for the region as a whole," Gibbs said.
The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan has urged Obama to send up to 40,000 more troops to confront Taliban forces who control large swaths of the country. But many liberals and some top Democratic lawmakers want a much smaller increase in U.S. troops, if any.
Gibbs said the president will announce his decision "in the coming weeks," a phrase he has used often before.
Gibbs spoke as Obama flew from Florida to Virginia for a political appearance.
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