Chuck Hagel: “the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act is similar to H.R. 3994, sponsored by the Chairman of the House International…”

“the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act is similar to H.R. 3994, sponsored by the Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, Congressman Hyde. The House of Representatives passed this bill on May 16 by a vote of 390-22. The Afghan Freedom Support Act comments the United States to the democratic and economic development of Afghanistan. In addition to the economic and political assistance found in Title I of the legislation, Title II seeks to enhance the stability and security of Afghanistan and the region by authorizing military assistance to the Afghan government and to certain other countries in the region, including assistance for counter narcotics, crime control and police training. The United States must stay actively engaged in helping Afghanistan through a very dangerous and difficult transition to stability, security, and, ultimately, democratic government. We are at the beginning of a long process. We cannot be distracted or deterred from this objective. Our credibility, our word, and our security are directly linked to success in Afghanistan. And there cannot be political stability and economic development in Afghanistan without security. This legislation authorizes $2.5 billion over 4 years for economic and democratic development assistance for Afghanistan. This amount includes Senator Lugar's proposal for a $500 million enterprise fund to promote job creation and private sector development. In addition, S.…”