Clinton Defends US Role In Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is defending the U.S. mission in Afghanistan after a week of anti-American violence and the killing of U.S. military advisers.

Clinton told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday that the United States has made progress in combating terrorism through operations in Afghanistan. She insisted that President Barack Obama has made clear that U.S. involvement is not an “endless commitment.”

Democrats on the panel pressed Clinton about the continued U.S. role.

More than 30 people have died in clashes since it became known last week that copies of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, and other religious materials were thrown into a fire pit used to burn garbage at a U.S. base near Kabul.

Obama has apologized for what he said was a mistake.