WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will discuss Afghan war with top congressional leaders from both major parties Tuesday, as the U.S. government is reviewing its Afghan strategy.
Obama will meet, among others, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Minority Leader John Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the heads of the armed services and foreign relations committees in the House and Senate, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said at a regular briefing Monday.
"There's no doubt that, particularly on (Afghan war) funding, it is not going to happen until Congress signs off," he said.
"They're an important part of this, and the president wants to hear from them," Gibbs added.
Washington is currently split on the future direction of the Afghan strategy.
On one hand, top military leaders and opposition Republicans are pressing Obama to act quickly to increase the present 68,000-troop level by as many as 40,000.
Meanwhile, senior White House advisors are reportedly pushing back the request for sending large number of additional troops to Afghanistan, saying that the United States should instead focus on faster military training of Afghan forces, assassinations of al-Qaida leaders and support for the government of neighboring Pakistan in its fight against the Taliban.
As the casualty toll grows and public support for the Afghan war wanes, Obama is carrying out a major strategy review of his Afghanistan policy, which could either lead to more troops being sent or a cutback in the 68,000-strong U.S. force there.
Afghan decision crucial to Obama presidency: Pentagon chief
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The decision that U.S. President Barack Obama will have to make on Afghanistan "will be among the most important of his presidency", U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday.
That, he said in a speech at the annual Association of the U.S. Army forum, makes it "important that we take the time to do all we can to get this right." Full story
U.S. experts divided on whether U.S. troops should pull out of Afghanistan
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. experts are divided on whether the U.S. and NATO forces should quit as the war in Afghanistan approaches its eighth anniversary and has shown little improvement.
U.S. Congress is growing impatient and so does the American public. Full story
Marred Afghan elections could undercut U.S. strategy
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Allegations of fraud may undercut the credibility of recent Afghan presidential elections, dealing a serious blow to U.S. efforts to shore up a legitimate government in the war-torn nation, experts said.
The controversial election occurred amid the backdrop of rising violence that has prompted U.S. military commanders to request additional troops -- levels are already expected to rise to 68,000this year -- in a bid to control the embattled country. Full story
Conflicts leave 5 American soldiers dead in Afghanistan
KABUL, Oct. 3 (Xinhua)-- Conflicts have claimed the lives of five American soldiers serving within the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan over the past 24 hours, a press release of the alliance said Saturday.
"In three separate incidents, five International Security Assistance Force service members were killed as result of enemy activity in southern and eastern Afghanistan in the past 24 hours," the press release added. Full story
