
US President Barack Obama has convened another Situation Room meeting with his close national security aides at the White House tomorrow to find the right strategy that works in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
This is the eighth in the series of Situation Room meetings which the US President has been holding since mid-August as part of his plan to find the right strategy for the region.
Initial media reports indicated that Obama was scheduled to announce his new Af-Pak strategy before his departure for Asia later this week, but this seems to now have been delayed.
"I have not been told when it (announcement of the Af-Pak policy) is going to be, but I think it is doubtful that it will happen prior to Thursday (the day when Obama departs for Asia)," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.
"Not likely, I wouldn't think," Gibbs said when asked if the announcement of the Af-Pak policy would happen during Obama's Asia trip.
Gibbs said Wednesday's meeting is in line of the previous ones, wherein he met his close defence, security and intelligence aides. He also said that the Pentagon was working on additional set of recommendations.
"I think there's no doubt that this is a topic that will be addressed in some of the meetings that he has throughout the trip. I think, along with things like Iran and non-proliferation and North Korea, I think in meeting with people throughout the trip, this will certainly be a topic," Gibbs said.
... contd.