Political Quotes

“I believe that this dangerous resolution is less about U.S. policy toward Pakistan than it is about Afghanistan and a back-door attempt to force U.S. withdrawal from that country. Because our success in Afghanistan is directly linked to our effort in Pakistan, withdraw from the latter, and you may bring defeat in both. In response to the September 11 attacks, Congress authorized the President to use all necessary and appropriate force against the perpetrators of those attacks, including against those who harbored such organizations or persons in order to prevent future acts of international terrorism against the United States. But al Qaeda and its allies in Pakistan fit that description precisely. Our wonderful U.S. personnel in Afghanistan are there to train and support Pakistani military and security forces to enable them to battle their own insurgencies, including al Qaeda and other threats. Much of this training is not combat related, but instead is focused on helping Pakistan undertake civil, military operations aimed at establishing stable and effective civilian authority in areas that are now off limits and serve as safe havens for extremist groups. Far from withdrawing, we must work with Pakistan to do more against the militant networks in that country that use it and neighboring Afghanistan as a launching pad from which to direct attacks against us and our allies.”