No decision yet on troops surge: US
The US has denied reports that President Barack Obama has taken a decision to substantially increase the number of American troops in Afghanistan.
The US has denied reports that President Barack Obama has taken a decision to substantially increase the number of American troops in Afghanistan.
"The President has not made a decision, and when he does I think you can assume that the BBC will not be the first outlet for such a decision," Gibbs said during the course of his daily press conference when asked about a BBC report which said Obama has informed British Prime Minister Gordon Brown that there would be a substantial increase in US troop to Afghanistan.
The BBC's Newsnight had said that the increase could be announced next week.
"Newsnight said the Obama administration had already told the UK government it would soon announce a substantial increase in its military forces in Afghanistan," BBC said on its website.
General Steanley McChrystal, Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, asked the Obama administration to send more troops to Afghanistan.
"All indications are that President Obama is honouring the request by Gen McChrystal," the Afghanistan Ambassador to the US, Said T Jawad, was quoted as saying by the BBC. However, Gibbs strongly denied that any such decision has been taken by Obama, who had on Wednesday his fifth situation room meeting on Af-Pak, which his aides said is to find the right strategy for the region.