Further complicating the matter is the limited patience many of Obama's top supporters have for Karzai.
"The great weakness in Afghanistan is Karzai," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "Nobody seems to trust him or like him. And the idea of turning it over to the Afghan forces is the right way to go, but that's a major question mark: Karzai."
Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, pleaded for public patience on the war.
"I understand the frustration, and I understand the anger and the sorrow," McCain said. "I also understand and we should not forget that the attacks on the United States of America on 9/11 originated in Afghanistan. And if Afghanistan dissolves into a situation where the Taliban were able to take over a chaotic situation, it could easily return to an al-Qaida base for attacks on the United States of America."
Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., said a primary problem is leaving the country vulnerable and signaling to Iran that the U.S. wasn't committed to the region.
"We can win this thing. We can get it right," Graham said.
Reid spoke on CNN's "State of the Union." Graham and Schumer spoke on ABC News "This Week." McCain spoke on "Fox News Sunday."
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Associated Press Intelligence Writer Kimberly Dozier and AP writers Michele Salcedo and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
An AP News Analysis
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Reader Comments Read all comments (1)
John of NY 9:02AM March 12, 2012