HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate says President Barack Obama needs to release a clear assessment on what kind of progress is being made, if any, against al-Qaida.
U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak made the statement Monday, three days before the ninth anniversary of America's attack on the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
The former Navy admiral says it's crucial to gauge whether the strategy is working.
Sestak last year supported Obama's order to send more troops to Afghanistan as a way to cut off al-Qaida from Pakistani safe havens.
He also responded to criticism from Republican counterpart Pat Toomey that he should have supported strong economic sanctions sooner against Iran. Sestak says he voted for sanctions on Iran's gasoline imports, and he defended a "carrots-and-sticks" approach to diplomacy.
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