Kerry heading to Afghanistan to observe elections

Obama’s war strategy under spotlight

Steven Stanek, Foreign Correspondent

Last Updated: August 04. 2009 9:38PM UAE / August 4. 2009 5:38PM GMT

WASHINGTON // As the number of US casualties in Afghanistan rises and the administration mulls the possibility of adding even more troops to the front lines, Congressional opposition to Barack Obama’s war strategy could soon grow louder.

Legislators do not question the threat posed by the Taliban and al Qa’eda and many have agreed with the president’s assessment that Afghanistan is a war of necessity in contrast to Iraq, which he has called a “war of choice”.

But some have been critical of the president’s plan to deepen US involvement in a war that has no clearly defined benchmarks or exit strategy. These lawmakers may soon speak with a stronger voice, according to Maxine Waters, a Democratic congresswoman from California and co-founder of the Out-of-Iraq caucus, a group of like-minded House members seeking a withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.

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Frederick Jones, a spokesman for John Kerry, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, said the Massachusetts senator was “concerned about America’s footprint in that country” but will give the new policies a chance to “bear fruit” before passing judgment.

Mr Kerry, a Democrat, has supported Mr Obama’s troop deployments, but he has also compared Afghanistan to another intractable US war: Vietnam. Mr Kerry will travel to Afghanistan later this month for the August 20 national elections.

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