On the recordMarch 17, 2011
I thank the gentleman from Ohio for bringing forth this important resolution and finally bringing to the floor of the House the discussion about the war in Afghanistan. Wrong war, wrong time, wrong place. Intelligence estimates are that there are under 50 al Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan. With the current cost of the war effort, we're spending between $1.5 billion and $2 billion per al Qaeda operative. There is a very real terrorist threat to our country that comes from the loosely knit al Qaeda terrorist network, but that threat does not emanate from Afghanistan. It does not emanate from any one particular nation-state. It is a stateless menace. They go wherever they're able to thrive on the lack of order. To effectively combat this menace, we need targeted special operations, we need aggressive intelligence gathering, and we need to make sure that we combat this menace wherever they are with the appropriate resources. Being bogged down, occupying one particular nation-state is a waste of resources and not the best way to keep the American people safe. I strongly support this resolution. {time} 1240
