On the recordMay 8, 2012
The President of the United States traveled to Afghanistan last week to sign the Strategic Partnership Agreement with President Karzai, and while this agreement is intended to signal the beginning of the end of the Afghanistan war, instead it actually looks like it could lock the United States into a military commitment for years to come. The agreement calls for our Armed Forces to be involved beyond 2014 in the ``training, equipping, advising, and sustaining'' of Afghan security forces so that Afghanistan can combat terrorism and ``secure and defend itself against internal and external threats.'' The irony in that statement, Mr. Speaker, is rich. When are we going to realize that the internal threats facing Afghanistan gather more strength with every day that American boots are on the ground? Insurgents are energized and animated. They bolster their recruitment and increase their numbers because of their resentment over a U.S. military occupation that is now in its 11th year--11th year. We will not bring stability to Afghanistan until we fundamentally alter our bilateral relationship to emphasize peaceful, civil engagement over military engagement. The good thing about this Strategic Partnership Agreement, however, is that it does include provisions relating to democracy promotion, economic development, and assisting in the reforming of the Afghans' governing institutions.…
