Obama will not rush troop decision

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US President Barack Obama is pledging not to rush a decision to send more troops to battle in Afghanistan. He made the decision as he weighs military options on what to do next in the troubled war.

Following an intensive review of the U.S. war in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama is likely to announce his war strategy in the coming weeks.

Barack Obama said, "I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way. I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary."

Obama made the remark at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

His visit came after meeting at the White House with his national security team for a sixth full-scale conference on the future of the faltering war.

The administration is debating whether to send more troops to the country, while the Afghan government is holding a runoff election November 7th.

Michael O'Hanlon, Brookings Institute, said, "We're in this delicate game of trying to do two things at once - give (General Stanley) McChrystal what he needs in the field but also cajole and use leverage with the Afghans to make them do a better job and that is why I think Obama does need to take probably a couple more weeks at least to complete the decision."

For some politicians, a troop request from the top US commander in Afghanistan is too ambitious.

Leading Senate Democrat John Kerry, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says the plan for more troops goes too far and too fast.

Since the beginning of the Afghan War in 2001, the US has sent more then 30,000 troops to the country.