Robert Gibbs, Beta Press Secretary: Walking Away from Afghanistan Not an Option

Robert Gibbs, the White House Press Secretary said today "I don't think we have the option to leave [Afghanistan]. That's quite clear,..." Gibbs said. That make a good headline. I clicked the link immediately with high expectations. What I got was a Beta press secretary saying nothing.

I see nothing here that quotes President Obama. Is this the best the White House can do?

"I don't think we have the option to leave" is not declarative. He did not say 'we don't have the option to leave,' so why is he even addressing the question? Because it makes a great headline?

This from Beitbart says:

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that walking away isn't a viable option to deal with a war that is about to enter its ninth year.

But that's not a quote, and it is followed by the "I don't think... statement. Maybe the quotation marks were erroneously omitted? Hmmmm. Apparently not, all reports seem to say the same thing.