Mich. Republican to Take House Intelligence Reins

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Michael Rogers will chair the House Intelligence committee in the next Congress, the House Republican leadership says.

Rogers, a former Army officer and FBI Special Agent, has done key work on the USA PATRIOT Act. That legislation created the agency that fights biological and chemical threats. The Michigan Republican also has had a major role in forming the counterterrorism strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Speaking to reporters on the eve of the White House Afghan review, Rogers said Wednesday that the war strategy should evolve to a smaller U.S. troop foot-print, focused more on fighting terrorists, and less on Afghan nation-building. He said the U.S. must help Pakistan improve its capacity to fight militants within its borders.