Washington, November 11: The White House has strongly denied media reports saying President Barack Obama is ready to send 40,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.
“Anybody that tells you that the president has made a decision doesn’t have — in all honesty — the slightest idea what they’re talking about,” DPA news agency quoted White House spokesman Robert Gibbs as saying on Tuesday.
“The president has yet to make a decision.”
CBS News and other US media, citing unnamed officials, reported late Monday that Obama was set to approve a massive buildup of US forces in Afghanistan.
It has been about three months since US and NATO top commander in Afghanistan Gen. Stanley McChrystal reported to Obama that the US-led war was headed for failure without the addition of about 40,000 troops.
The president is not expected to announce a final decision for several weeks.
—–Agencies