Critics denounce any withdrawal date

Republicans on Tuesday were largely supportive of President Obama’s decision to commit 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, but they expressed grave doubts about his pledge to draw down forces in less than two years.

One of Obama’s fiercest critics was his former presidential rival, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who at a White House meeting before the speech questioned Obama on his promise to begin “transfer of our forces” out of the country by July 2011.

Earlier in the day, McCain, who serves as the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, made his “serious” concerns public, saying such a withdrawal date was arbitrary and would embolden the Taliban.

“The way you win wars is to break the enemy’s will,” McCain told reporters. “The exit strategy should be dictated by conditions on the ground.”

At the White House, McCain and other Republicans who attended a briefing Tuesday for leading members of Congress were assured by the president and other administration officials that the progress of the war would indeed determine the pace of the drawdown.

Obama said as much in his speech at West Point: “Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground.”

For months, Republicans had urged Obama to follow the recommendations of Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, his top commander in Afghanistan, who had pushed for as many as 40,000 additional troops. But Obama’s decision did not mollify many GOP critics who accuse him of trying to appeal to those who oppose escalation of the war even as he calls for more troops.

The troop increase is expected to cost the federal government at least $30 billion a year.

Republicans said the cost should be deducted from more than $280 billion in economic stimulus funds that have yet to be spent. Democrats reject that proposal.

-- James Oliphant joliphant@tribune.com

Richard Simon of the Tribune Washington Bureau contributed to this report.