Citing Election Troubles, Kerry Opposes Troop Increase in Afghanistan

With Afghanistan’s “election crisis deepening, Sen. John Kerry says it would be irresponsible for the U.S. to consider sending additional troops to the region at this time,” the AP reports.

In taped remarks, Kerry said it would be misguided to have a troop buildup to achieve a mission of “good governance” when the election is not yet finished.

Kerry, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was in Kabul on Saturday.

His visit came as Afghanistan’s president, Hamid Karzai, resisted international pressure to accept fraud rulings that could force him into a runoff with his main challenger, Abdullah Abdullah. Due to harsh weather, a runoff may not happen until next spring.

Kerry spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union,” which airs Sunday.

• Кэти Перри (Katy Perry)