Gillibrand backs bill for plan to bring troops home

WASHINGTON — Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand called on the Obama administration Tuesday to step up plans to withdraw combat troops from Afghanistan, saying the United States faces a greater terrorist threat from other areas and suggesting the U.S. cannot trust Afghan President Hamid Karzai as a partner.

"America cannot afford an open-ended war in Afghanistan," Mrs. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said in a conference call with reporters.

She said she is backing legislation calling for troop withdrawals to begin July 1 — a date the administration already backs — and requiring the White House to spell out a detailed withdrawal plan, including a final withdrawal date, by July 31.

Although the phased withdrawal Mrs. Gillibrand envisions matches what President Obama has endorsed, she sounded a more pessimistic tone about the Afghanistan mission than the administration or military commanders have and called for a firmer commitment to leaving, including a set timeline.

Even as the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David H. Petraeus, portrayed Afghanistan as a critical focal point in the fight against terrorism at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Mrs. Gillibrand told reporters the United States should shift its focus to Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan and other places where she believes al-Qaida has a more significant presence.

Mrs. Gillibrand, a member of the committee, took a break from the hearing to outline her evolving position on Afghanistan. Although she has spoken of concerns about Afghan President Karzai, she said outright Tuesday that he has not been a trustworthy partner against the drug smuggling and corruption that undermine the nation's security.

"The evidence is not there that he's a willing partner," Mrs. Gillibrand said.

Mr. Karzai, who initially appeared to be a stabilizing force in Afghanistan, has for several years riled U.S. officials with erratic comments and criticism of U.S. military efforts. People around him, including a brother, have been accused of ties to the illegal drug trade. Mrs. Gillibrand said he has been unwilling to enforce drug laws.

In Mrs. Gillibrand's view, Afghanistan is no longer a headquarters for al-Qaida, which has spread to other regions. In particular, the United States should turn attention to the Arabian Peninsula, she said, where some terrorism experts say the organization is closer to establishing a foothold. In general, she said, al-Qaida has spread out geographically.

"I think the nature of al-Qaida has changed," Mrs. Gillibrand said.

She said she wasn't advocating sending U.S. combat forces into those countries, although she used the word "redeployment" to characterize the shift away from Afghanistan. Instead, she said, the United States needs to shift its policy focus to those other areas. The war in Afghanistan has cost more than $345 billion, she said.

Republicans, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the committee's top Republican, are largely critical of withdrawal timelines, as they were in Iraq. Mr. McCain on Tuesday asked Gen. Petraeus to remind the public about why the fight is worth continuing, suggesting he also describe the consequences of losing.

Mrs. Gillibrand's downbeat assessment of Afghanistan contrasted with the message Gen. Petraeus brought to the Armed Services Committee. In response to questions from top lawmakers of each party, he reminded senators that Afghanistan was the birthplace of the 9-11 terrorism plot and warned that security gains the United States has helped secure in the past year are still fragile.

"It's important to remember that's where 9-11 began," Gen. Petraeus said. Al-Qaida looks for sanctuaries "all the time," he said.

But Gen. Petraeus said he tries to voice neither optimism nor pessimism, but rather "realism" about the situation there. And he backed the idea of a timed withdrawal beginning in July, saying it "undercuts the narrative of the Taliban that we will be there forever."

He also resisted criticizing the government of neighboring Pakistan, which committee Chairman Sen. Carl M. Levin, D-Mich., accused of refusing to stop people from using Pakistan as a base from which to cross into Afghanistan and attack U.S. forces.

"Pakistan may be looking the other way in that regard, but I don't think we can," Mr. Levin said.

Gen. Petraeus praised Pakistan for making "enormous sacrifices" to help U.S. forces, including suffering its own military casualties as it tries to clear areas of fighters.

"The fact is that Pakistan is the first to note that more needs to be done," Gen. Petraeus said.

Tuesday's hearing, and Mrs. Gillibrand's announcement, came as a new poll indicated declining U.S. support for the decade-long war in Afghanistan. Gen. Petraeus said, "Up front, I can understand the frustration. We've been at this for 10 years. We have spent a substantial amount of money."