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WASHINGTON (PAN): Gen Steanley McChrystal, commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, would submit his report on seeking additional troops for Afghanistan by this weekend, but the White House said President Barack Obama would not take a decision on it till the new government is formed in Kabul.

"We have to have a strong partner, a strong national partner there. Obviously that's simply one of the things I think that the President is looking at to assess, the White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, told reporters.

Even though Obama had announced his Af-Pak policy in March, Gibbs said: I think the President always believed that after the elections was a natural time in which to assess, review, and measure where we are. One of the things the President said this throughout his speech in March. We are going to continually reassess where we are."

Earlier in the day, Pentagon spokesman, Geoff Morrell, said: I expect by week's end that the Secretary (of Defense) will have received General McChrystal's resource request."

Morrell said: But I want to make it perfectly clear that once he has it, he intends to hold on to it until such time as the President and his national security team are ready to consider it. It is simply premature to consider additional resources until General McChrystal's assessment has been fully reviewed and discussed by the President and his team.

As the review and discussion process has been under way for the past few weeks and there is more work to do, more discussions to be had, Morrell said: So while that is going on, the troop request will reside with Secretary Gates.

When asked if reduction in troops from Afghanistan is one of the proposals, which Obama is considering, Gibbs said: I am not going to rule out or rule in any number of things, except to say that the President wants a full evaluation and assessment, and wants to talk to all the stakeholders that are involved in that.  I think the President always believed that after the election was a natural time in which to assess, review, and measure where we are."

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