Hearings on new US Afghanistan strategy continues

US President Barack Obama's planned troop build-up in Afghanistan has met with more skepticism on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers are now focusing on how the US will deal with extremist havens in neighboring Pakistan.

Thursday's proceeding was the second day of hearings into Obama's plan to send 30 thousand more troops to Afghanistan. It will be the largest expansion of the war since it began eight years ago.

Some senators questioned whether or not an expanded military effort in Afghanistan addressed the problem of Taliban and al-Qaida safe havens across the border in Pakistan.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates assured the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that efforts were underway to convince the Afghan government to take more responsibility. The belief is that a stable Afghanistan will make a big difference on how Pakistan sees its future,

Robert Gates, US Secretary if Defense, said, "The Afghans must step up to the plate and do the things necessary that will allow them to take primary responsibility for defending their own country, and do so with a sense of purpose and urgency."

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, sought to underscore the threat that al-Qaida posed in Pakistan.

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "And the terrorist central cells that are there on this border, this is really the headquarters."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the administration's strategy has taken Pakistan into account.

Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State , said, "We are now making the case to our counterparts in Pakistan, both in the civilian and military leadership."

Obama has depicted the effort to defeat al-Qaida as the centerpiece of his war strategy. But his national address on Tuesday contained no details on how he planned to accelerate attacks on the network.

The US has relied on stepped-up drone-launched missile strikes in recent months, but the operations remain classified.