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WASHINGTON – Saying the U.S. mission in Afghanistan is in "serious jeopardy," the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee says more troops are needed to combat an increasingly potent Taliban.
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's views on the issue are more closely aligned with those of key Republicans than members of her own party, including Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee. He wants to hold off on new troops pending revision of U.S. strategy for Afghanistan.
"I'm saying at this time, don't send more combat troops," said Levin, D-Mich., who wants the emphasis to be on strengthening Afghanistan's own army and national police forces so they can bear a greater share of the security burden.
But Feinstein, D-Calif., whose post gives her access to sensitive information about the war's progress, said Sunday that delaying the reinforcements also puts the forces already in Afghanistan at greater risk. She pointed to an Oct. 3 battle in northeastern Afghanistan in which eight U.S. soldiers were killed during an enemy attack on their remote outpost.
"We didn't have the ability to defend them, and now the base is closing, and effectively we're retreating away from it," she said.
The diverging opinions came as President Barack Obama and his war council wrestle with how many more troops might be needed in the 8-year-old Afghanistan conflict. Key to the deliberations are whether to focus the fighting more narrowly on al-Qaida or more broadly on Taliban insurgents.
Complicating Obama's decision are allegations of fraud in Afghanistan's August election, in which a preliminary tally showed President Hamid Karzai winning about 54 percent of the vote. Proclamation of a winner has been delayed pending a partial recount by the U.N.-backed Electoral Complaints Commission. On Monday, one of the two Afghans on the commission resigned, citing interference by foreigners on the commission.
The Obama administration and its international partners had hoped the vote — the first presidential election run by Afghans — would restore legitimacy to a government plagued by weakness and corruption. Instead, the widespread allegations of ballot-box stuffing have sullied Karzai's reputation.
Obama's military commanders are pressing him to escalate the war despite slipping U.S. support for the fight. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, is believed to have presented Obama with a range of options, from adding as few as 10,000 troops to — the general's preference — as many as 40,000. There are already about 68,000 American forces in Afghanistan.
Levin said a better blueprint for the way ahead in Afghanistan is even more important than additional personnel. He also said key points in McChrystal's 66-page assessment of the situation in Afghanistan have been lost in the noisy debate over the right number of additional troops and how quickly they need to be sent.
"He also says deliberate," Levin said of McChrystal's review. "Take the right amount of time to think this thing through. And he also says that what is even more important than numbers is the resolve."
The eventual plan needs to include more U.S. trainers to make Afghan security forces more effective, Levin said. There also needs to be a way to persuade Taliban fighters to switch sides, he said, calling the current shortage of Afghan forces an "Achilles' heel."
Levin also said needed equipment needs to be moved from Iraq to Afghanistan.
Republicans argued that Obama would be making a major mistake if he doesn't quickly answer McChrystal's call for more troops.
Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said it would be "an error of historic proportions" if Obama decides against a significantly larger U.S. presence.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Afghan national police are "getting slaughtered" and thousands more forces are needed to bring security and stability to the country.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said that a request by Obama for more troops in Afghanistan would have broad support from Senate Republicans. McConnell also acknowledged Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's government is rife with corruption.
"There's no question that this is a flawed administration," McConnell said of Karazi's government. "But remember, this is about protecting the United States of America. We know that this has been a haven for terrorists in the past and we don't want to let it become a haven for terrorists again."
Feinstein appeared on ABC's "This Week." Levin and Graham spoke on NBC's
"Meet the Press" while McConnell appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation." McCain
appeared on CNN's "State of the Union" in an interview taped Friday.