Annie Kuster: “Today I rise to discuss our country's ongoing efforts in Afghanistan. Over Thanksgiving, I had the honor to join five of…”

“Today I rise to discuss our country's ongoing efforts in Afghanistan. Over Thanksgiving, I had the honor to join five of our other colleagues from the House Veterans' Affairs Committee for a trip to spend the holiday with our outstanding service men and women in Kabul, Kandahar, and Bagram Air Force base. Additionally, we received numerous briefings from senior military, State Department, and intelligence officials. We heard about the multitude of challenges facing the young democracy in Afghanistan, ranging from hard security challenges emanating from the Taliban, al Qaeda, and even ISIL, to societal challenges in a country with 92 percent illiteracy. This is now primarily an Afghan fight with just over 9,800 American troops remaining in the country. However, the threat of international terrorism and the need to ensure that the country never again becomes a haven for those seeking to target the United States means that we will need to have a presence in Afghanistan for some time to come. Mr. Speaker, I was encouraged by the dedication of the men and women in uniform who continue to demonstrate their commitment to our mission. I was also encouraged by the resolve demonstrated by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to reduce corruption and rebuild the economy. Make no mistake, Afghanistan faces many challenges in the years ahead.…”