Boston Globe: Kerry joins skepticism on Afghan troop increase

[karynnj]

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WASHINGTON -- After a string of high-profile skepticism from Democrats in Congress about the war in Afghanistan, Senator John F. Kerry will also express concern in an interview airing Tuesday on PBS and in hearings he will preside over on Wednesday ("Countering the Threat of Failure") and Thursday ("Exploring Three Strategies for Afghanistan") as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Key Democrats have done their best to preempt any potential request for more troops from Obama. At a press conference on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she did not believe there was much support for sending more troops. In a floor speech on Friday, Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin said he wants to see an increase in Afghanistan's armed forces before committing more US troops.

Tuesday on "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," Kerry will express his own "long-standing concerns" about whether the current military footprint in Afghanistan is the best way to achieve US goals, according to Kerry communications director Frederick Jones.

But Jones said that Kerry, who first made his name opposing the Vietnam war, will "reserve final judgment on troop levels and our policy writ large until he hears from the administration and military leaders."

[karynnj]

1. kick for the morning crowd

[beachmom]

2. I'll be sure to check out Sen. Kerry on Jim Lehrer tonight. nt

[karynnj]

3. Same here

I've watched his hearings on Afghanistan and heard his public questions and comments to HRC in the two hearings she has been at, but Senator Kerry spent his time trying to pull out more and deeper information from the witnesses rather than giving his opinion.

It is weird thinking how Kerry may be, not just in Fullbright's Senate position, but may be in a similar position on the 2 wars that Fullbright was with Johnson. At least at this point, Obama has pulled the troops out of the cities (a Kerry proposal since 2005 and even 2004) and is on track to a complete pullout - slower than Obama's plan in 2008, which was slower than Kerry/Feingold, but a very good systematic exit plan.

[blm]

4. Kerry wants to decrease footsteps of military and increase infrastructure and humanitarian aid so we

can leave Afghanistan with the basics it needs for thriving COMMUNITIES.