Senate backs quicker withdrawal from Afghanistan

[ProSense]

Senate backs quicker withdrawal from Afghanistan

By By DONNA CASSATA

WASHINGTON (AP) — Reflecting a war-weary nation, the Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday for an accelerated withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan after more than a decade of fighting.

The strong bipartisan vote of 62-33 sends a clear message to President Barack Obama and the military as they engage in high-stakes talks about the pace of drawing down the 66,000 U.S. troops there, with a White House announcement expected within weeks.

Although the vote was on a nonbinding amendment to a defense policy bill, its significance could not be discounted amid the current discussions.

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Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., its chief sponsor, argued that al-Qaida is stronger in other parts of the world and that nation-building in Afghanistan has gone off track. His measure endorsed Obama's timetable to withdraw all combat troops by the end of 2014 but pressed for a quicker pace, without specifying how that would be achieved.

- more -

http://news.yahoo.com/senate-backs-quicker-withdrawal-afghanistan-213003951--finance.html

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Roll call: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00210

[Cha]

1. Sounds good.. thanks ProSense

[Mass]

2. Shockingly few Dems voting NO (Lieberman, Pryor)

and about 10 GOpers, including Thune and Moran voting NO.

[ProSense]

3. Five weeks to no more Liberman. n/t