Congress scrutinizing Obama's Afghanistan plan
WASHINGTON -- Congressional lawmakers are moving quickly to hold hearings on President Barack Obama's plan to send 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan.
Senate Armed Services Committee members plan to grill top administration officials about the troop buildup today. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will all testify.
The hearing isn't expected to be a cakewalk. Panel chairman Carl Levin is a skeptic on Afghanistan. He says the key to victory is a surge by Afghan forces, not Americans.
The planned surge of U.S. troops would raise the American military presence in Afghanistan to about 100,000.
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