Gates, Mullen went to Belgium for Afghan war talk

Source: AP

Gates, Mullen went to Belgium for Afghan war talk

By ANNE GEARAN (AP) – 21 minutes ago

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's top defense advisers huddled in Europe over the weekend to discuss the Afghanistan war, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, got an interim report on security in Afghanistan from the top American commander there.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal is putting together an assessment of the war that may include a request for additional U.S. forces and resources. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Gates wanted a face-to-face meeting to get a sense of that forthcoming report.

"He wanted an opportunity to speak firsthand with his commanders and his senior military advisers about how the assessment is unfolding," Morrell said. He would not detail the discussion, including whether McChrystal is contemplating a politically troublesome request to expand the number of American soldiers.

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