Washington -  expects that President Barack Obama will decide in the coming days over the final number of troop reinforcements for Afghanistan.

There will probably be a decision "in the course of the next few days," Gates told journalists Tuesday.

There were various options before Obama, and Gates said he has given the president his recommendations.

"I think it's a very constructive deliberate process," Gates said. "This is ... the first time that this president has been asked to deploy large numbers of troops overseas, and it seems to me a thoughtful and deliberate approach to that decision is entirely appropriate."

The US commander in Afghanistan, David McKiernan, has called for another 30,000 US troops to help fight the resurgent Taliban rebels. Currently, there are 36,000 US troops in Afghanistan, part of a total of 55,000 NATO troops in the country.

It's generally expected that Obama will give the green light to sending more troops, in keeping with his vow on the campaign trail to focus more attention on the conflict there.

Obama's administration is currently reviewing Afghanistan strategy, but believes a decision about adding troops is needed sooner than the review can be completed, Gates indicated.

The reason for a speedy decision is to allow the necessary time to prepare the troop transfers.

Gates also said he has ordered a review of the current practice of banning photographs of caskets carrying home the US war dead from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama's predecessor, president George W Bush, forbad the filming of their arrival at the Dover, Delaware, Air Force Base, provoking criticism that he wanted to suppress the visibility of the tragedies of war. dpa