Ben Cardin

It is, certainly, a much different country than it was in 2001. A lot of progress has been made.

I think you do give us a roadmap for how we need to try to develop the U.S. role in Afghanistan in fighting corruption.

I agree with the chairman. I found your written testimony and your presentations here to be very, very helpful for us to truly understand the challenges that we have in Afghanistan.

There are short-term gains to try to help in regard to our military objectives. There are long-term development goals that we are trying to achieve in Afghanistan.

Whereas the United States seems to have primarily prioritized security, hoping that they could catch up on governance later, what we find in everything from think tank studies to academic studies to experience on the ground is that…

Are they a sincere partner in peace, or are they just trying to protect their interests?

It seems like we are losing ground.

I do not think we are going to make progress in Afghanistan unless we really have changes in anticorruption activities.

In Afghanistan, as is the case everywhere, all politics are local.

What happened in Kunduz obviously was a major concern.

When do we expect the Commission to come on line?

To date, few of the provisions of the peace agreement have been implemented.

I do not want to prejudge their culpability. I really do not. I mean that sincerely.

Unless you are going to somehow or another absolve these two leaders of their wrongdoings and let them continue to have the resources that they have stolen from their own citizens and probably from us, let us face it, that there is no way…

Too many times after conflict DDR is not fully implemented.

If there is anything we can do in regards to more effective delivery of humanitarian assistance, please let us know.

We prefer the country to take care of it itself. If it cannot, then the international community must respond.

I think Congress will pass a plan B, it is a matter of when, if the peace process does not go forward.

What is plan B, in order to protect the people of South Sudan? Does the international community with U.S. leadership have a plan B, so we are not faced with a growing and longstanding endangerment of the people of South Sudan, as we saw in…

We very much want to be able to prevent the corrupt officials from being able to enjoy the fruits of their corruption.

The surest route to building leverage for the United States to have a bigger influence on peace and human rights in these African countries is by hitting the leaders of rival kleptocratic factions where it hurts the most--in their wallets.

The United States needs to exercise strong international leadership that the perpetrators of these atrocities will be held accountable, period, the end.

My children's generation grew up with Darfur as their battle call for international humanity. They got engaged in that campaign because of the brutalities that were taking place in Darfur. They said never again. It is happening again.

The kleptocracy initiative I think should actively pursue cases involving the misappropriation of South Sudan assets.

You want to get the attention of the leaders pursuing power in South Sudan, go after their stolen assets.