Kerry: Afghan election affects strategy

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- A decision on sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan may depend on the outcome of the country's presidential election, a senior U.S. lawmaker says.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday the runoff election between Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and challenger Abdullah Abdullah -- necessitated by alleged widespread fraud in the first round -- is needed to answer "some very fundamental questions" about "the status of the Afghan government."

"I think this is a moment for President Karzai, frankly, to step up and help to share with the world a better vision for how the government here is going to deliver and be a full partner," Kerry said in Kabul.

"I don't see how President Obama can make a decision about the committing of our additional forces or even the further fulfillment of our mission that's here today without an adequate government in place or knowledge about what that government's going to be," Kerry said.

The senator indicated he spoke with Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of U.S. forces in the country, saying the Afghan people themselves will have to "define what happens here ... ."