Annan's spokesman said he will meet Clinton Friday as concerns grow that his peace plan is in danger of failing.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) called on the Obama administration to keep up tough sanctions on Iran and not to ease up on them until the nation agrees to terminate its nuclear weapons program.

In a letter to National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, Schumer said the United States and its allies should continue to press Iran to shut down its nuclear enrichment plant at Fordo, stop all uranium enrichment, and send all uranium enriched to 20 percent outside the country.

Defense Secretary Panetta is visiting Asia to garner support from U.S. allies for the administration's new Pacific-focused national security strategy.

The United States launched its third drone strike in three days in Pakistan on Monday morning, according to reports from the region, further inflaming tensions with Islamabad.

The drone strikes killed 15 militants in the North Waziristan region in the deadliest U.S. strike in Pakistan this year, and the eighth attack in the past two weeks, according to AFP.

The continued drone campaign in Pakistan will add to difficulties with Islamabad as Washington tries to reopen supply routes into Afghanistan.

Republicans are up in arms over plans to include Afghan war funding in automatic defense cuts to begin in 2013.

Panetta is on a three-country Asian trip to promote American military ties in the region.

China's global economic prowess and its military's recent aggressive actions are the main topics of discussion.

Less than a year before Afghan forces will take over security operations from U.S. forces and two years before Americans leave Afghanistan for good, local troops are will not have enough weapons or equipment they need to do the job. 

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Congress is playing with fire by waiting until after the election to deal with sequestration.