Let us hope so, anyway.

We just passed legislation here called the Tourist Act to try to encourage tourists to come to the United States.

But does it go all through the system?

Which American contracting companies are supporting the training of the ANP?

The President stated that a responsible withdrawal of troops will begin in summer 2011.

Overall development of the Afghan economy appears to be at a standstill.

Now, in terms of just for clarification, General, on the drawdown dates, what little I know about the military, I heard one of our distinguished Senators ask about whether they were going to start withdrawing the first troops on that date.

We will not transfer responsibility to the Afghans until they have the capacity to manage the situation on their own.

A key tenet of General McChrystal's strategy is partnering with the Afghan security forces in order to help them build capacity and assume lead security responsibility as quickly and as successfully as possible.

Are we working, not only on the military side, but also on the resource side, with the locals where, because of the divisions of that country and all the different ethnicities, the locals are really in charge?

I understand that many of the troop-contributing nations for Afghanistan have placed very specific caveats on what missions and what type of support that they will provide.

an effective and continuous diplomatic effort is key to progress for the Afghan Government, and an effective ambassadorial team is critical to facilitating that progress.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) estimated that each additional soldier deployed to Afghanistan will cost $1 million. Is this estimate accurate?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

When will we reach our goal numbers for the ANA and ANP?

Are we aiming to meet the projected numbers established by March 2009 goals of 134,000 ANA and 82,000 ANP, or levels recommended by General McChrystal of 240,000 ANA and 160,000 ANP?

Does this OMB cost estimate include any contractor support?

I have been given great flexibility by the President and the Secretary of Defense in determining the composition of the additional 30,000 forces.

Unfortunately. Mr. Ambassador, we must learn the language of the natives and they will accept us better when we can speak their language.

The U.S. policy on Iraq has not changed; we are committed to fulfilling our responsibility.

The responsible drawdown of troops in Iraq continues forward as planned.

I just came back from Iraq and had a very interesting visit there, and I'm encouraged by what has taken place in Iraq.

Will there be an increase in contractor support based on this troop increase?

We are not an occupation force. Afghans must take primary responsibility for defending their own country and prepare to do so with a sense of purpose and urgency.

I find this Simply Unacceptable!