Top Marine looks at gay troops risk

The new commandant of the United States Marines Corps says now is the wrong time to overturn the "don't ask, don't tell" policy prohibiting gays from openly serving in the military, as US troops remain at war in Afghanistan.

"There's risk involved; I'm trying to determine how to measure that risk," General James Amos said yesterday. "This is not a social thing. This is combat effectiveness."

Last month the Pentagon was forced to lift its ban on openly serving gays for eight days after a California court ruling which the Justice Department has appealed against.