Doug Bereuter: “This Member rises to inform our colleagues about grave shortfalls in NATO's International Security Assistance Force…”

“This Member rises to inform our colleagues about grave shortfalls in NATO's International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, in Afghanistan and about efforts to ensure the mission has the resources needed for success. This Member returned to Washington yesterday from Bratislava, Slovakia, where the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly was held. This Member serves as the President of the Assembly, which for the last 50 years has served as the parliamentary adviser and support organization for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. The inability of the Alliance to meet its commitments in Afghanistan was the most important issue we discussed in Bratislava. This Member cannot overstate how critical the next few weeks will be for the future of Afghanistan and for the credibility of NATO. Several members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly visited Afghanistan on behalf of the Assembly 2 weeks ago. They were unanimous in their praise for the professionalism of our soldiers but were equally convinced that, without additional resources, the Alliance faces failure in Afghanistan and risks losing all that it has currently invested.”