US defense secretary: Possible troop surge in Iraq

New US Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated on Wednesday that he has discussed the possibility of boosting US troop strength in Iraq with US commanders, but has made no decisions yet. Gates, on just his third day in his post, is visiting the battlefront in an unannounced trip to Iraq.

''We discussed the obvious things,'' Gates told reporters after meeting with top US generals. ''We discussed the possibility of a surge and the potential for what it might accomplish.'' (AP)