"The numbers that I received show that literacy in Afghanistan is still only 28 percent."
"So, basically, we have an ally who truly is not acting as an ally."
"With the tremendous budget concerns we have within our own nation, if changes are made or adjustments are made to the operation as we know it in Afghanistan today, do you think it will affect the outc..."
"Do you believe that al Qaeda still poses a threat to the United States of America?"
"Admiral Mullen said at the same hearing that the July 2011 date 'has given the Afghans a sense of urgency that they didn't have before the decision was made.'"
"It looks like money is not going to win this war."
"I just returned from Afghanistan and Pakistan. I can't tell you how impressed I was at the quality of people that we have--our men and women, all of you who are leading them, and the job they are doin..."
"Secretary Gates told this committee a few weeks ago that he supported the decision to set the July 2011 date because it was necessary to 'grab the attention of the Afghan leadership and bring a sense ..."
"It is essential that President Obama holds to his decision to set July 2011 as the date for the beginning of reductions in U.S. forces in Afghanistan."
"reform the way the Pentagon does business--to not only make every defense dollar count, but also to become a more . . . effective organization."
"We send our men and women to war on multiple deployments and give them medications to keep them awake, to help them sleep, and to help ease the physical and psychological pain of being in a stressful ..."