Obama hosts another Afghan meeting

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US President Barack Obama has hosted another White House meeting to consider his next Afghanistan and Pakistan strategies.

However, some officials say decisions on troop deployments could still be weeks away.

This is Obama's fifth meeting with his top advisers on Afghanistan.

They met for three hours to continue their analysis of the threats posed in the country by the Taliban and al-Qaida.

The key question is whether to send more US troops as US Afghan commander General Stanley McChrystal has requested.

The White House says the latest meeting dealt at length with strengthening the civilian mission and training the Afghan police and army.

Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama's security team looks forward to a day when the Afghan police and army can provide security for the country.

Gibbs denied a report that the president had made a decision on a request from General McChrystal for as many as 80,000 additional American forces.

Obama has said he will make up his mind in the coming weeks.