Top Dem to White House: Keep Focus on Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee is urging the White House to send more troops to Afghanistan and stick with a military strategy that was outlined six months ago.

A letter sent Tuesday to the White House from Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri says the Obama administration cannot be distracted from its mission of defeating the Taliban to protect the U.S. from al-Qaida.

He warned that straying from that strategy would be similar to the Bush administration's focusing on Iraq in 2003 instead of keeping after terrorists behind the Sept. 11 attacks.

Skelton is the highest-ranking Democrat in Congress to support sending more troops to Afghanistan.

A copy of his letter was obtained by The Associated Press.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)