McCain: No exit date for Afghanistan

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Tuesday rejected the idea of an exit date for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, arguing that the Taliban would simply "wait out" the American presence.

McCain, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee and ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters that President Barack Obama should avoid any explicit exit date when managing the eight-year war, since enemies of the U.S. could use it to their advantage. McCain said he was "worried" that Obama will do so.

"The exit strategy should be dictated by conditions on the ground," McCain said. "Clearly we need benchmarks, and those should be adhered to. But to announce a date for leaving is of great concern to me, but it may convey the impression that we're only going to be there for a short time, and the Taliban could just wait us out."