Feinstein says Afghanistan mission in jeopardy

Saying the U.S. mission in Afghanistan is in "serious jeopardy" and more troops are needed to combat an increasingly potent Taliban, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee stands at odds against an influential Democratic colleague on military matters.

California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's views are more closely aligned with those of key Republicans than members of her own party.

On Oct. 11, Feinstein, whose post gives her access to sensitive information about the war's progress, said delaying the reinforcements also puts the forces already in Afghanistan at greater risk, according to the Associated Press. She pointed to an Oct. 3 battle in northeastern Afghanistan in which eight U.S. soldiers were killed during an enemy attack on their remote outpost.

"We didn't have the ability to defend them, and now the base is closing, and effectively we're retreating away from it," she said.

The diverging opinions came as President Barack Obama and his war council wrestle with how many more troops might be needed in the 8-year-old Afghanistan conflict. Key to the deliberations are whether to focus the fighting more narrowly on al-Qaida or more broadly on Taliban insurgents.