WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s top military officer flew to Europe to talk to the commander in the Afghanistan war Friday about how many troops he needs to turn around the faltering campaign.
President Barack Obama would not say whether he thinks the war requires more troops and said he is reviewing whether the United States is pursuing the right strategy to defeat al-Qaeda.
Two defense officials said that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen met Gen. Stanley McChrystal for a half day of talks Friday at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mullen received McChrystal’s report on how many troops he thinks he needs to defeat the insurgency. They declined to confirm what others have said privately for weeks — that McChrystal wants about 40,000 more troops.
The Associated Press
