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Euro zone crisis concern for U.S.: White House


    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is being regularly updated about the crisis in the euro zone debt market, which could affect the recovery and wider global economy, the White House said on Wednesday.

    "It is half a world away, but it is important to the global economy and to our economic recovery," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told a news briefing.

    A crisis of investor confidence has hit the debt of several European countries sharing the euro currency. This has already forced multibillion euro bailouts for Greece and Ireland amid fears some larger euro zone nations may be next.

    "We are certainly going to stay close in monitoring what's going on," Gibbs said, but he declined to comment on a Reuters report that Washington would back more aid to quell the crisis through the International Monetary Fund.

    A Treasury spokesman separately said the United States was not discussing an extra commitment of funds for a European stabilization fund right now.