The top three advisors to US President Barack Obama joined together to discuss sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are hashing out the proposal to send more troops to Afghanistan on Wednesday,The New York Times reports.

But President Obama still remained unsatisfied with the answer he received about how strongly the Afghan and Pakistani governments would work to execute the new strategy, the article quoted US officials as saying.

President Obama is said to consider four final options over troop levels in Afghanistan on Wednesday, the White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters on Wednesday.

The three options called for specific levels of additional troops: the low option would add 20,000 to 25,000 troops, the middle option is to send about 30,000 more troops and the third one – requested by Gen Stanley McChrystal, the top US commander in Afghanistan - calls for sending up to 40,000 troops to boost the stalled Afghan mission.

President Obama has held a series of high profile meetings over the decision about troop levels in Afghanistan but the decision remains unmade.

There were reports that the president would announce his final decision about the troop levels after he returns from his Asian trip, which is expected to take place from 12 to 19 November.

Earlier, there were reports that three additional combat brigades would be deployed and a division headquarters set up near Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.

Brigades generally include 3,500 to 4,000 troops, but they may increase to 5,000 if other units latch on.

Gen McChrystal warned the White House of mission failure unless more troops are deployed to combat the growing Taliban-led insurgency, which as entered its fiercest period in the eight years since the Taliban fell and the war began.

There are currently more than 100,000 foreign troops from NATO member countries in Afghanistan, and 67,000 of them are American.

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