Our mission was clearly stated by the President in his speech at the end of March. It is to defeat, dismantle, and disable al-Qaeda and the enemies of the United States who directly threaten us.
Holbrooke outlines the U.S. mission against al-Qaeda as stated by the President.
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I want to underscore the core difference between Vietnam and Afghanistan-Pakistan. And it is 9/11.
I share your astonishment that so little was done on this in the past, and I want to commend you and Senator Webb for continuing to push.
Why are we in Afghanistan? The short, simple answer is: 9/11, direct threats to our national security interests.
Your bill provides more funds in one bill than the United States has spent in that area since 9/11. That is one of the reasons we are so enthusiastic about it. It's long overdue.