Jack Reed actually said...

"I think keeping the larger-sized force would certainly, as you pointed out, reassure the Afghans."

"Good-news stories about Afghanistan and the Afghan security forces don't seem to get the coverage in the U.S. media that is given to negative stories."

"I don't think we could find someone better acclimated to the various challenges; and there are quite a few throughout the region."

"Going forward, the challenges there seem to be more political than any type of military threat from the outside, or an uncontrollable internal threat."