Obama meets with top US commander in Afghanistan

Published February 5, 2014
Obama is continuing to weigh input from military, intelligence and diplomatic officials.— Photo by AFP
Obama is continuing to weigh input from military, intelligence and diplomatic officials.— Photo by AFP

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has met at the White House with his top commander in Afghanistan and other high-ranking US defense officials.

White House spokeswoman Laura Magnuson says the meeting was useful, but no decision has been made about a possible US presence in Afghanistan after the Nato-led combat mission formally concludes.

She says Obama is continuing to weigh input from military, intelligence and diplomatic officials.

The military has been pushing to keep up to 10,000 US troops in Afghanistan after 2014.

But the White House says Obama won't leave any American forces in Afghanistan unless Afghan President Hamid Karzai signs a bilateral security agreement.

Among the officials Obama met with were Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top US commander in Afghanistan Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey.

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