[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 108 (Thursday, August 1, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S7865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    AFGHANISTAN FREEDOM SUPPORT ACT

  Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, 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. 
2712 authorizes up to $300 million in drawdown authority for military 
and other security assistance.
  This legislation includes a Sense of the Congress resolution, at the 
initiative of Senator Biden, which urges the President to commit the 
full weight of the United States to expand the International Security 
Assistance Force (ISAF) beyond Kabul. The resolution calls for $1 
billion to support ISAF expansion for FY 2003 and FY 2004, if the 
President makes that call.
  The main elements of the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act are as 
follows:
  It authorizes continued efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in 
Afghanistan and among Afghan refugees in neighboring countries;
  It also authorizes resources to help the Afghan government fight the 
production and flow of illicit narcotics;
  It assists efforts to achieve a broad-based, multi-ethnic, gender-
sensitive, and fully representative government in Afghanistan;
  It supports strengthening the capabilities of the Afghan Government 
to develop projects and programs that meet the needs of the Afghan 
people;
  It supports the reconstruction of Afghanistan through creating jobs, 
clearing landmines, and rebuilding the agriculture sector, the health 
care system, and the educational system of Afghanistan; and
  It provides resources to the Ministry for Women's Affairs of 
Afghanistan to carry out its responsibilities for legal advocacy, 
education, vocational training, and women's health programs.
  This legislation also strongly urges the President to designate 
within the State Department an ambassadorial-level coordinator to 
oversee and implement these programs and to advance United States 
interests in Afghanistan, including coordination with other countries 
and international organizations with respect to assistance to 
Afghanistan.
  In general, the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act provides a 
constructive, strategic framework for our Afghan policy, and flexible 
authority for the President to implement it.
  Let me add that this legislation is explicitly and strongly committed 
to increasing the participation of women in Afghan politics. One of the 
``principles of assistance'' of this bill states that ``Assistance 
should increase the participation of women at the national, regional, 
and local levels in Afghanistan, wherever feasible, by enhancing the 
role of women in decision-making processes, as well as by providing 
support for programs that aim to expand economic and educational 
opportunities and health programs for women and educational and health 
programs for girls.''

  We must not allow the Afghan government of President Karzai to 
unwind. The United States must make the necessary investment of 
resources to help stabilize and secure Afghanistan in order to support 
a democratic transition there. This bill addresses an urgent need. It 
is critical to America's security interest in Afghanistan and Central 
Asia. If Afghanistan goes backward, this will be a defeat for our war 
on terrorism, for the people desiring freedom in Afghanistan and in 
Central Asia, and for America symbolically in the world. This defeat 
would undermine the confidence in America's word around the world. 
Afghanistan is the first battle in our war on terrorism. We must not 
fail.

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