Region | Iraq
Barack Obama briefed on military's Iraq plans
The top US military official briefed President-elect Barack Obama this week on commanders' plans for troop levels in Iraq, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
- Agencies
- Published: 09:09 December 19, 2008
Washington: The top US military official briefed President-elect Barack Obama this week on commanders' plans for troop levels in Iraq, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell would not say whether the plans matched Obama's plans to get all US combat forces out of Iraq in 16 months.
Obama has said he wants a responsible withdrawal and will listen to the advice of his commanders.
The top US commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, presented his projections for troop levels at a meeting with Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Saturday, Morrell said.
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, then presented Obama and his national security team with the commanders' views at a meeting in Chicago on Monday.
"The secretary asked that Chairman Mullen brief the Obama national security team on the current thinking about the way ahead in Iraq," Morrell said.
"None of these meetings, conversations has been decisional, and ultimately this will be up to the president-elect, to the new commander in chief, to determine the direction he wishes to go in Iraq," Morrell said.
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