Mullen, McChrystal meet on Afghan needs

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen met in Germany with top U.S. and NATO military commanders to discuss Afghanistan troop needs, sources say.

An unnamed U.S. official told The Washington Post the meeting happened Friday at Ramstein Air Base, and was attended by Mullen; Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan; Gen. David Petraeus, chief of U.S. Central Command, and Adm. James Stavridis, the supreme allied commander for NATO.

The Post's source said Mullen wanted to get a face-to-face assessment from McChrystal on Afghanistan troop requirements amid growing public concerns over the course of the war. McChrystal told the Post this week that while more troops will not necessarily guarantee victory in Afghanistan, the country could fall to unexpectedly strong Taliban insurgents without them.

Quoting unnamed military officials, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that McChrystal would ask the Pentagon for up to 40,000 additional U.S. troops this weekend. But aides to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates indicated he won't give the request to U.S. President Barack Obama until a White House review of Afghanistan policy is completed.

The Journal said it is still unclear if Obama would go along with the request.