TOP US lawmakers voiced strong concern about the direction of President Barack Obama’s war effort in Afghanistan yesterday at a congressional hearing abruptly halted after the key US general fainted.
Gen David Petraeus, a prostate cancer survivor who oversees the Afghan war effort as head of US Central Command, briefly collapsed about an hour into the hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee.
In what one observer called “a frightening moment”, Gen Petraeus suddenly slumped face-forward on the large desk where he sat to give testimony.
Aides rushed to his side and gently escorted him into a private room for checks by a military doctor.
The general later blamed dehydration and skipping breakfast for the incident – and joked it wasn’t tough questioning from the likes of Senator John McCain, the panel’s senior Republican, that triggered his fainting spell.
Mr McCain warned that the Afghan campaign could be heading toward a “crisis”, reflecting growing impatience among many lawmakers over the pace of the war.
“I am deeply concerned about our campaign in Afghanistan,” he said. “Many of the key trends seem to be heading in a bad direction, perhaps even signalling a mounting crisis,” he said.
Gen McCain cited persistent insecurity in southern Afghanistan, a perceived lack of commitment by Nato allies and the shortcomings of president Hamid Karzai’s government.– (Reuters)