WASHINGTON - At a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Maine Sen. Angus King said leaving Afghanistan prematurely would be a major strategic mistake for the U.S.
"Given all the progress - and I don't think the American people realize the amount of progress that has been made in Afghanistan in terms of the lives of the people - it's fumbling the ball on the 5-yard line," King said.
King, an independent, says the U.S. should stay in Afghanistan longer than President Obama plans to. He said most Americans do not realize how much good the nation's presence in Afghanistan has done.
King says now that the country has a leader America can work with - President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani - the U.S. should consider continuing a limited military presence in the country to further improve that nation.
