Gibbs promises Obama will end military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy on gays

Washington, Oct 18 (ANI): White House spokesman Robert Gibbs has assured that US President Barack Obama will end the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy that prohibits homosexuality in the armed services.

"Don't ask, don't tell will end under this President," the New York Daily News quoted Gibbs, as saying.

His assurance has come in the midst of opposition from the Obama administration, that is fighting to block the decision of Judge Virginia A. Phillips of Federal District Court for the Central District of California, arguing a repeal would cause "significant and immediate harms" to "strong and effective military operations."

Gibbs, however, repeated on Sunday that Obama thinks the policy is discriminatory, and argued that the President simply wants it repealed by lawmakers, not the courts.

"The House has passed repeal, and we hope the Senate takes up that repeal quickly," he added.

Senate Republicans, however, blocked the repeal just before Congress went out on recess for the midterm elections, the paper said.

Earlier, Judge Phillips had issued an injunction banning enforcement of the law and ordered the military to immediately "suspend and discontinue" any investigations or proceedings to dismiss service members.

The judge had also said that the 17-year-old policy "infringes the fundamental rights of United States service members and prospective service members" and violates their rights of due process and freedom of speech. (ANI)