Senators question U.S. strategy in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee grilled the administration's top diplomat for South Asia a day after two non-governmental studies said Afghanistan risked reverting into a failed state and a terrorist haven without new international efforts to win the war and bring about economic development. --- "If we should be surging forces anywhere, it's in Afghanistan, not Iraq," said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden, a Delaware Democrat. --- Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican, said he saw an "astounding number of contradictions about how much progress we're making" in the administration's presentation. --- Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, the senior Republican on the panel, did not dispute reported successes in Afghanistan, but said he saw a "disturbing" lack of a clear strategy. "I'm not certain we have a plan for Afghanistan," he said. "Unless there is some goal out there, some overall plan, this situation is going to be a victim at some point of the politics of this country or others," Lugar added.