The incoming Obama administration will risk provoking the furore over gays in the military that embroiled the early days of Bill Clinton's first term after a senior member of the team gave an unequivocal pledge to remove the ban that forbids gays and lesbians from serving openly.

In a largely overlooked answer given in response to public questions on

YouTube last Friday, Robert Gibbs, who will be the main White House press secretary, was asked whether the "don't ask, don't tell" provision would be revoked. He replied: "You don't hear politicians give a one-word answer much. But it's 'Yes.'"

The ban was a compromise that emerged out of the politically damaging wrangle that tied up Clinton's early administration in knots after it tried to open the military to equal rights for gays. Under its terms, military officers are not allowed to ask personnel about their sexuality, but if anyone is discovered to be gay or lesbian they are expelled.

Obama indicated on several occasions on the two-year campaign trail to last November's presidential elections that he was minded to remove the ban. But he is also likely to be wary of repeating the mistakes of his Democratic presidential predecessor.

Gibbs followed up his YouTube remarks on Wednesday with comments suggesting that reform is unlikely to be immediate. "There are many challenges facing our nation now and the president-elect is focused first and foremost on jump-starting this economy. So not everything will get done in the beginning but he's committed to following through," he said.

