Bill Delahunt: “This is in contrast to what was said earlier here on the floor: United States efforts in Afghanistan are failing.…”

“This is in contrast to what was said earlier here on the floor: United States efforts in Afghanistan are failing. Afghanistan faces its highest levels of violence and corruption since its liberation. Drug money continues to finance terrorism. That failure, coupled with the aggressive efforts of the terrorists, threatens to destroy Afghanistan's democracy, a free government that Americans and coalition forces have died to support. Mr. Meek, Mr. Speaker, those are not my words. Those are the words of the Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, Henry Hyde, in a letter that he sent this week to President Bush. So please don't come down to this floor and paint a rosy picture. We are in trouble. The world is in trouble. And if we are going to win the war on terror, we have got to change direction and develop a strategy that will accomplish that after 5 years. It is 5 years since 9/11, and Afghanistan is back to ground zero.”