WASHINGTON - A prominent US Republican senator said Sunday the Obama administration is taking an unnecessary risk in drawing down the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," Arizona Sen. John McCain said none of the U.S. military commanders has recommended the drawdown. President Barack Obama has ordered a troop reduction of 10,000 by the end of the year and another 23,000 by September 2012. The Marine general who is expected to carry out the president's order to begin withdrawing U.S. troops has said the drawdown schedule is a bit more aggressive than the military had anticipated.

Lt. Gen. John R. Allen cautioned that successfully winding down the war will require new progress on a wide front, including more help from allies and less Afghan corruption.
The U.S. administration sent more than 30,000 extra troops in a bid to pacify areas in the Taliban's southern heartland and other dangerous areas. U.S. military officials have predicted more tough fighting through the summer as the Taliban try to regain territory they have lost.

McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, is on a tour of Afghanistan and spoke from Kabul. A prominent Republican senator says the Obama administration is taking an unnecessary risk in drawing down the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Appearing Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," Sen. John McCain said none of the U.S. military commanders has recommended the drawdown.
President Barack Obama has ordered a troop reduction of 10,000 by the end of the year and another 23,000 by September 2012.

The U.S. administration sent more than 30,000 extra troops in a bid to pacify areas in the Taliban's southern heartland and other dangerous areas. U.S. military officials have predicted more tough fighting through the summer as the Taliban try to regain territory they have lost.
McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, is on a tour of Afghanistan and spoke from Kabul. (AP)