11 February,2009 03:12 PM IST | | PTI
US President Barack Obama would decide in the 'next few days' on the deployment of additional troops in Afghanistan, Secretary of Defence Robert Gates has said.
The review of the US policies on Afghanistan is currently being undertaken by the Obama administration, which is planning to come up with a comprehensive long-term policy on the war-ravaged country, which also takes into account the ground realities in Pakistan as well.
"I think he (Obama) will make those (deployment of additional troops) decisions probably in the course of the next few days," Gates said in response to a question at Pentagon when asked if additional US brigades would be on the ground in Afghanistan before the NATO Summit.
"I think that there is a realisation that some decisions have to be made before the strategic review is completed. If he does decide to send at least an additional brigade combat team, even just one, the next one to go would need to be notified pretty quickly," Gates said.
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US commanders on the ground have sought need of an additional 30,000 forces in Afghanistan so as to win the war against terror in the country.
"This is the first time that this President has been asked to deploy large numbers of troops overseas, and it seems to me a thoughtful and deliberative approach to that decision is entirely appropriate," he said.
