Lynn C. Woolsey: “The task at hand in Kandahar, however, is less intensive militarily. Frank Ruggiero, our top civilian official in…”

“The task at hand in Kandahar, however, is less intensive militarily. Frank Ruggiero, our top civilian official in Afghanistan, has said that "Kandahar is a political problem. And the campaign in Kandahar will be led by governance." While it's a comfort to know our troops may not face the gravest possible danger, Mr. Ruggiero's assessment is very troubling because political and governance problems are exactly the ones that this mission has failed miserably. This campaign is called Operation Enduring Freedom, but the only way we can help the Afghan people enjoy enduring freedom is if we help them build durable, sustainable, democratic governing institutions that will thrive long after our military occupation is over. By neglecting that critical task, Mr. Speaker, we are creating a power vacuum that the Taliban and other warlords and strongmen are only too eager to fill. If the Taliban has proved resilient in Marja, and they definitely have after we supposedly drove them out a few months ago, then just imagine how hard it will be to vanquish them completely from Kandahar, their spiritual home.”