[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 10, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H1296-H1297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES. Madam Speaker, today during the debate about Afghanistan, 
I joined Mr. Kucinich and several others in our concerns about 
Afghanistan, and I wanted to further read to the House. I had used a 
Marine Times article that has a photograph of a marine who is retired 
now and his son, Joshua, who was killed in Afghanistan. The article 
says ``Caution Killed My Son. Marine Families Blast Suicidal Tactics in 
Afghanistan.''
  In addition to this article about his son and the tighter rules of 
engagement, ``families voice outrage over new restrictions in 
Afghanistan,'' they also have an article about four marines who were 
killed that asked the Army to give them cover. The Army didn't say 
``no''; they just didn't even respond.
  The rules of engagement are so different for our troops that I think 
at some point in time we in the Congress, particularly on the Armed 
Services Committee, I am going to ask for a hearing about the rules of 
engagement.
  I want to explain and then read a couple of comments from the father 
which was in this article, Sergeant Bernard, retired Marine, whose son 
Joshua was killed. What had happened was the marines had been in a 
firefight. Then there was an Afghan that came to the marines and said, 
Listen, there are other Taliban enemy down the road, and if you follow 
me, I will show you where they are located.

                              {time}  1945

  This is where I want to pick up the story by the father's writing. He 
said, When the ambush began, the tipster could not be found, and the 
interpreter took cover, raising questions in Bernard's mind about 
whether they led the Marines into a trap. There's no question they did. 
I further quote Sergeant Bernard, who's retired now: ``Call me cynical 
if you want, but some rogue element led them there. The bottom line is 
both of those guys were gone. It's just another indication of how this 
counterinsurgency strategy can't work.''
  I further want to read: ``In an October 13 letter to Collins, Mullen 
addressed Bernard's concerns by saying that `the new tactical directive 
did not change the ROE in Afghanistan, but rather provided more 
clarification and guidelines regarding the use of force. We have 
refined our procedures in order to reduce civilian casualties, but at 
no time have the ROE been modified to place our troops at greater 
risk,' Mullen wrote. `Our troops still operate under a set of ROE that 
allows them to protect themselves against enemy actions in balance with 
the Afghan populace.' ''
  Sergeant Bernard, a retired Marine who served this Nation, said ``the 
letter is `smoke and mirrors' and overlooks his consistent concern: A 
counterinsurgency strategy won't work as long as Afghanistan is filled 
with warring tribes that have no empathy for the U.S. and its way of 
life.''
  I further want to read down in his response in the Marine Corps 
Times: ``I already talked to Collins' office and said, `Don't let him 
spin this crap.' There's no indication that Afghanistan has changed 
anywhere. Our mission should be very, very simple: Chase and kill the 
enemy.''
  Madam Speaker, that's exactly what they should be doing, instead of 
this other type of strategy.
  Bernard said he is frustrated that the senator's office, one of his 
home State senators and a member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, 
has handled his complaints as that of a single constituent--and I'm not 
getting into

[[Page H1297]]

whether they did or didn't, but just reading what he said--rather, 
seeing for what he is: representative of the hundreds of people--
hundreds of people--he says have contacted him about this whole rules 
of engagement. I want to quote, and this will be the close: `` `You 
can't turn this into one lone idiot in the backwoods of Maine mourning 
his son,' he said. `This is bigger than that.' ''
  So, Madam Speaker, I intend to ask the Armed Services Committee, 
which is chaired by a wonderful man from Missouri, and the ranking 
member from California, we need to have this debate on behalf of the 
families as well as the Marines and the Army. What are the rules of 
engagement? What can they do and cannot do? When I read these articles 
about the number that have died just because we could not give them 
cover in certain situations, if that's the way we're supposed to fight 
a war, then that's a poor way to fight the war.
  Madam Speaker, with that, I'm going to close as I always do. I know 
the gentleman from Texas has a tribute to pay to a former Member who I 
happened to serve one term with and thought the world of him. My daddy 
knew him and thought Charlie Wilson was a great guy. Let me get that on 
the Record.
  My close is this: I ask God to please bless our men and women in 
uniform. I ask God to please bless the families of our men and women in 
uniform. I ask God to please bless this country and bless the 
President, that he will do what is right for this country. And I ask 
God to please bless America.

                          ____________________