On the recordMay 25, 2011
I rise today to call for a change of course in Afghanistan. On May 1, a targeted strike by U.S. forces achieved a central goal of the war that began in Afghanistan nearly a decade ago. The death of Osama bin Laden by no means ends the threat posed by al- Qaida or other terrorist groups. However, bin Laden's death provides an opportunity for Congress and the White House to assess a new strategy for keeping America safe and defending our interests around the world. Today, I am calling for three changes to our strategy in Afghanistan. First, we must begin handing responsibility over to Afghan forces and bring most of our troops home by the end of next year. Second, we should focus on fighting terrorism, not nation building. Third, our efforts to keep America safe from terrorism should center on where most terrorist threats come from, Pakistan. The United States should not be doing the work the Afghans should be doing for themselves. The Afghans need to stand up and take responsibility for the security of their own country. The President has announced this July will mark the beginning of a transition of security responsibility to Afghan forces. However, in my view, the transition plan is too slow. We need to begin handing responsibility of security to Afghan forces immediately and aim to have most U.S. combat troops out of Afghanistan by the end of next year.…
