Washington - Congressional Republican lawmakers emerged from a meeting with President Barack Obama Tuesday calling on him to support the view of his top generals as he develops a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan.

"I hope that at the end of the day the president will follow the advice of some of our finest generals," said Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader.

Obama held a meeting with congressional leaders to discuss his approach to the conflict and the various options he is contemplating and he tries to respond to the Taliban's growing momentum in the conflict.

The White House has insisted that Obama will carefully review all of his options and will not be rushed into such an important decision, including a request by the top commander there, General Stanley McChrystal, for 40,000 additional troops.

Some Democrats have questioned whether sending an additional 40,000 soldiers to Afghanistan would be the best move at a time when public support for the war has slipped.

The Republicans acknowledged that it is critical for Obama to evaluate every contingency, but also warned he cannot wait too long to come to a decision.

"It's pretty clear that time is not on our side," Senator John McCain said. "We need to act with deliberate haste."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama will reach a final decision in the coming weeks.  dpa