No 'perfect' answers in Afghanistan: Obama
US President Barack Obama warned Friday there were no "perfect answers" in Afghanistan, as he conducts a wide ranging review of strategy and contemplates whether to send more troops.
After the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, Obama said he understood that Americans and others were becoming discouraged by the war, on a day when Nato announced the deaths of five more US soldiers in Afghanistan.
"This is not easy, and I would expect that the public would ask some very tough questions," said Obama, whose task in selling the war to Americans has been complicated by the disputed Afghan presidential election.
"That's exactly what I'm doing, is asking some very tough questions, and you know, we're not going to arrive at perfect answers.
"I think anybody who's looked at the situation recognises that it's difficult and it's complicated.
"But my solemn obligation is to make sure that I get the best answers possible, particularly before I make decisions about sending additional troops into the theatre."
Obama repeatedly said the US mission was to disrupt and dismantle al-Qaeda, in the kind of language, which some observers see as a possible sign of a narrowing of the broad counter-insurgency fight against the Taliban.
Earlier, the top US military officer Admiral Mike Mullen held a secret meeting in Germany with the Nato commander in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal to discuss a request for more troops, officials said.
McChrystal's appeal for more troops and resources was due to be formally submitted to Defence Secretary Robert Gates by Saturday but Gates has decided to hold off presenting the request to Obama until the administration completes a review of war strategy.Insurgents killed another five US soldiers in Afghanistan's southern Taliban stronghold, Nato said Friday.
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