White House: Obama is approaching a decision on troop levels in Afghanistan

October 23rd, 2009 2 NATO members: no more troops to Afghanistan nowBRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Two NATO members say they won't be willing to send new troops to Afghanistan until a presidential runoff election Nov. 7 delivers a legitimate government and President Barack Obama has decided on a new strategy there.

October 21st, 2009 'Possible' Obama Afghan announcement before Nov. 7WASHINGTON — The White House said Wednesday it's "certainly possible" that President Barack Obama could announce before a scheduled new election in Afghanistan whether to send more troops into the U.S.

October 21st, 2009 Kerry says Obama's Afghan decision should waitWASHINGTON — Sen. John Kerry says President Barack Obama should wait until after the new Afghanistan presidential election is conducted before making his decision for the war.

October 20th, 2009 Obama honors Army troop for heroism in VietnamWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has awarded the Presidential Unit Citation to an Army troop for a daring rescue mission during the Vietnam War nearly 40 years ago. Obama was joined at the White House by dozens of veterans of Troop A, 1st Squadron of the 11th Armored Combat Regiment.

October 18th, 2009 White House official says Afghan government is keyWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's chief of staff says the central issue that must be settled before the president makes a decision about troop levels in Afghanistan is whether there is a credible government in Kabul. Rahm Emanuel says the White House plans to have additional strategy sessions on Afghanistan this week and next week.

October 16th, 2009 Obama to honor Army troop for valor in VietnamWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is awarding the Presidential Unit Citation to an Army troop for heroism in Vietnam. The White House has announced that 86 veterans of Troop A, 1st Squadron of the 11th Armored Combat Regiment will attend a ceremony with the president Tuesday in the Rose Garden.

October 9th, 2009 Obama discusses troop levels for AfghanistanWASHINGTON — Hours after winning a Nobel Peace Prize, President Barack Obama assembled his war council in the White House basement to talk about how many troops might be needed to right the 8-year-old Afghanistan conflict that military commanders are pressing him to escalate. The president and his top national security advisers huddled for three hours in the Situation Room to hear top military officials make their case for tens of thousands of additional troops to target al-Qaida.

September 30th, 2009 AP source: Obama makes no decisions on Afghan warWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has heard from his top national security officials about their next step forward with Afghanistan but has not made any decisions. A senior administration official says Obama spent three hours in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday and pushed his team for specifics and details.

September 23rd, 2009 McCain: More troops needed in AfghanistanWASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain says more U.S.

July 27th, 2009 NZ signals likely to raise Afghanistan troop levelWELLINGTON, New Zealand — Prime Minister John Key gave a strong signal Monday that New Zealand likely will increase its troop levels in Afghanistan — with a decision on any fresh commitment by mid-August. He also restated New Zealand's desire for an "exit strategy" for its troops, with its 140-member provincial reconstruction team currently committed until September 2010.

July 23rd, 2009 Current troop levels and deaths in AfghanistanCurrent troop levels and deaths since 2001 among leading members of the NATO-led force and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan: UNITED STATES — About 59,000 soldiers, at least 675 died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department.

July 2nd, 2009 Obama to reassess US troop levels in AfghanistanWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama tells The Associated Press that he will reassess the possible need for additional U.S. troops in Afghanistan after the Afghan national elections in August.

May 1st, 2009 White House: Obama to meet with Karzai, ZardariWASHINGTON — The White House says President Barack Obama will meet Wednesday with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss their troubled region. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Friday that Obama would meet jointly and separately with the two at the White House.

March 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama plans to increase troop levels in Afghanistan by an additional 4,000 soldiers in a move to expand the fight against Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants, US news reports said. Ahead of the White House unveiling its new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy Friday, the Washington Post and CNN reported that on top of the 17,000 additional combat troops already authorised, 4,000 more would be deployed later this year to serve as advisers to the Afghan army.

February 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama will soon announce his decision on the deployment of more troops in Afghanistan, the White House has said. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, who travelled with the president from Chicago to Washington, told reporters Monday that the government was reviewing the US policy towards Afghanistan and may take a decision soon to send additional troops to the war-torn country.