Senator wants 'achievable' Afghan goals

WASHINGTON, April 7 (UPI) -- Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., says he will introduce a bill calling for "achievable" counterterrorism goals and a timetable for removing troops from Afghanistan.

Feingold, critical of President Barack Obama's troop escalation in Afghanistan, plans legislation to define what he refers to as America's "large-scale, open-ended military strategy" in the region, The Hill reported Wednesday.

When the president said in December he was sending more troops to Afghanistan, he spoke of a troop withdrawal in July 2011, although that deadline was seen by administration officials to be soft depending on the ground situation on the ground, the report said..

After U.N. envoy Peter Galbraith's speculation this week Hamid Karzai might be using drugs and be mentally unstable, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs declined to say whether the Obama administration considers the Afghan leader an ally.

Some members of the Obama administration see Karzai's remarks last week, criticizing so-called outsiders for interfering in Afghan affairs, as an attempt to distance himself from the United States, The Hill said.

"Rather than pursuing a large-scale, open-ended military strategy in Afghanistan, we should focus on achievable counterterrorism goals," Feingold said. "This approach would strengthen our national security by allowing us to focus on the global fight against al-Qaida."