Obama plan targeting Taliban, al-Qaida draws praise

President Obama Thursday vowed to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat" the al-Qaida network in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan.

Obama ordered 4,000 more troops into Afghanistan and said the infusion is designed to bolster the Afghan army and turn up the heat on terrorists that he said are plotting attacks against Americans.

The announcement followed a policy review Obama launched shortly after taking office. The 4,000 troops come not long after the administration approved the dispatch of an additional 17,000 forces to the war-weary nation.

The plan drew praise on both sides of the aisle.

"The president's plan is the result of a detailed study and is wisely centered on dismantling al-Qaida and denying safe havens in both Afghanistan and Pakistan to those who would attack the United States," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "This strategy recognizes a point that I have emphasized for years, and one that I shared with the president following my visit last month to Afghanistan, which is that we must have a regional approach to countering terrorism."

Meanwhile, House Armed Services ranking member John McHugh welcomed the proposal, saying that it appeared to be based on "the advice of his commanders, and it includes long-standing objectives that House Republicans support and have advocated for."

Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., while saying he liked many aspects of the plan, expressed some skepticism during an appearance on MSNBC. "The problem is if you focus too much on Afghanistan and not sufficiently on a military strategy and a civilian strategy for Pakistan, you may actually make the situation worse," he said.