Pentagon delays Afghan troop request: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon has told its top commander in Afghanistan to delay submitting his request for additional troops until the Obama administration completes a review of its war strategy, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

A senior Pentagon official said the administration has asked for the reprieve so it can complete a review of the U.S.-led war effort, the newspaper reported.

"We have to make sure we have the right strategy" before looking at additional troop requests .... "Things have changed on the ground fairly considerably," the official told the newspaper.

Asked about the report, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said the hope is that the matter will be resolved very soon.

"As Secretary (Robert) Gates said last week, he and others are still working through the process by which General McChrystal will submit his resource request for review," Morrell said.

Army General Stanley McChrystal, the senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan, has warned in a confidential assessment of the war sent to Washington last month that without additional forces the mission "will likely result in failure."

"It is important to remember that regardless of when General McChrystal sends forth his request, the president first wants to fully discuss his assessment of the situation in Afghanistan and the strategy we are pursuing there before considering any additional resources for that effort," Morrell said.

(Writing by JoAnne Allen/Editing by Chris Wilson)