Wittman statement on Afghanistan decision

By JR Hoeft | Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 | Policy

“I’m pleased that the President has come to a decision on the future strategy of our forces in Afghanistan and I fully support the deployment of additional troops and resources to aid in the fight against extremists. However, I am concerned with the mention of any sort of hard and fast time table. This simply sends the wrong message to the civilian population and provides a time clock for al-Qaeda and the Taliban to wait for our departure. We need to remember that the reason we went to Afghanistan was to eliminate al-Qaeda and provide freedom to an oppressed nation, and we should not leave until that job is finished. I have full faith and confidence in our military leadership and our troops that they will successfully complete this mission and I call on the President, Congress, and our Allies to provide them the tools to get the job done.”

Rep. Glenn Nye (D-VA02) also commented on tonight’s decision:

“President Obama has laid out an aggressive plan that addresses the needs outlined by our commanders on the ground, and it will take a real step forward in defeating al-Qaeda, bringing stability to Afghanistan, and protecting the United States.

“I served in Iraq in 2007 as part of the civilian effort accompanying the troop surge, and I saw firsthand what can be accomplished when our troops and commanders have the resources they need to establish real security.

“I also served as a civilian alongside our troops in Afghanistan in 2003 and 2004, and it has been clear since then that the mission has been severely under-resourced.

“By increasing troop levels in Afghanistan, we will finally give our commanders the tools they need to provide security. Together with civilian assistance and increased training of Afghan security forces, we can to forge partnerships with local leaders to defeat our enemies and ultimately allow the Afghans to take responsibility for their own country.

“There are still important questions that must be answered, including whether the Pakistani government will make an equal commitment to fight terrorists and militants on their side of the border. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I will be asking Secretary Gates and General McChrystal for more details about how this plan will be put into effect.”

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