Washington - Key advisors of US President Barack Obama met with the president at the White House again late Monday ahead of a much-anticipated announcement about troop levels in Afghanistan expected next week. Senior diplomats and military officials, among them General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, the US ambassador to Kabul, Kai Eikenberry, and Defence Secretary Robert Gates are reportedly scheduled to testify before Congress on the situation in Afghanistan, the LA Times reported.
Obama's decision is expected next week after the long Thanksgiving weekend.
According to media reports, Vice President Joe Biden, Gates and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen took part in Monday's meeting.
McChrystal and Eikenberry participated via video link, reports said, quoting government sources. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told CNN the meeting not only discussed how to get people to Afghanistan, but also a how to bring the troops back home.
Currently 68,000 US troops are deployed to Afghanistan and McChrystal has sought an additional 40,000 to contain the Taliban insurgency. Eikenberry, however, has warned against deploying more troops and said that the Afghan government had to first effectively combat corruption and take further measures to stabilize the country.
