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Rediff.com  » News » No pull-out from Afghanistan, says US

No pull-out from Afghanistan, says US

Source: PTI
Last updated on: October 15, 2009 01:40 IST
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The White House on Wednesday categorically ruled out that the US is planning to leave Afghanistan, as President Barack Obama held the fifth round of the "situation room meeting" to chalk out a strategy for Af-Pak region.

"We are not leaving Afghanistan," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters at his daily press briefing.

Gibbs said Obama held his fifth situation room meeting on Wednesday at the White House, which lasted for more than three hours.

However, Gibbs did not say how long it would take the President to come out with the "right strategy" that would not only work, but would also help in achieving the goal of defeating the Al Qaeda and the Taliban in the region.

"The President has not made a decision yet," Gibbs said, adding that at today's meeting among other things the issue of training Afghan police and army was also discussed along with civilian military capabilities.

He said the political situation in both Pakistan and Afghanistan was also discussed at the meeting. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who is travelling participated in the meeting through phone.

The previous meetings included discussion on intelligence information not only Afghanistan and also Pakistan, he said.

Gibbs said the meeting began with an update of the political and security situation in Afghanistan.

"The President received a report on our efforts to strengthen our civilian mission within Afghanistan, particularly as it relates to our effort to partner with the Afghan government," he said.

Obama then received a report on efforts to train Afghan security forces. "And as usual, the president heard from many of his advisers and was joined via videoconference by Ambassadors Patterson and Eikenberry and General McChrystal, from Islamabad and Kabul, respectively," he said.

"Like the other meetings, there wasn't one magic sentence or one magic phrase, but again, a fairly comprehensive meeting to go through remaining situation that hadn't been covered and needed to be covered more in depth in Afghanistan," Gibbs said.

"I think this was, again, a continuation of the series of meetings; some of -- some of what we went through were questions from -- from last meeting, as I read out the – an update on the political situation and an update on – on security force training, meaning ANA and ANP, Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police," he said in response to a question.

"Obviously, integral in ensuring that, at some point, the Afghans are providing security for their own people," Gibbs said.

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