Washington, Feb.26 (ANI): Former Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain has told participants at the American Enterprise Institute that the U.S. is not winning the war in Afghanistan, and called for a "serious change" in Washington's strategy.

Painting a grim picture of the war in the Afghanistan on Wednesday, Fox News quoted McCain as saying that it will require a change in strategy and years to achieve victory in that landlocked country.

McCain said he believes the war can be won, but he called for a return to strategies predating 2005 that emphasized counterinsurgency and the protection of the Afghanistan population, over a strategy that is "balkanized and dysfunctional."

"If we change our policies, the situation on the ground will change too," McCain said.

"When you aren't winning in this kind of war, you are losing. And, in Afghanistan today, we are not winning. Let us not shy from the truth, but let us not be paralyzed by it either," he added.

McCain said that it was the responsibility of the president and Congress to prepare the American people for the difficult road ahead in Afghanistan, including an increase in American casualties.

"So I think it's very important that the president and the members of Congress and other people in leadership, and respective positions, inform the American people that it's going to be long hard and tough."

McCain also advocated doubling the size of the army in Afghanistan, empowering the new Pakistani government to confront radical extremism in that front increasing non-military aide to Afghanistan.

McCain also said he supported Obama's increase in troops but made it clear that he did not think it could be categorized as a "surge." (ANI)