[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 37 (Monday, March 15, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H1414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   AFGHANISTAN WAR POWERS RESOLUTION

  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, last week during the debate on Afghanistan, 
I spoke on the floor. I was in support of the resolution introduced by 
Mr. Kucinich, House Resolution 248, and I used in my remarks an article 
from Marine Corps Times of November 2, 2009. It says, ``Caution Killed 
My Son: Marine families blast `suicidal' tactics in Afghanistan.'' 
Sadly, Retired Marine First Sergeant John Bernard lost his son Lance 
Corporal Joshua Bernard, 19, who was killed in Afghanistan; and from 
that, his concern was that the rules of engagement have changed to such 
a point where our military is restricted in certain areas of what they 
can use in the way of defending themselves.
  Well, after I read part of the article on the floor, it really got on 
my mind about, you know, what are we doing to our military if we're 
asking them to go to Afghanistan and fight, yet we tell them in certain 
situations, You cannot use your weapons? So I asked my staff to email a 
very dear friend of mine who is a retired senior military general. I 
wanted him to help me understand the rules of engagement. Well, the 
comments that he sent back really didn't speak to my question of rules 
of engagement, but I want to share with you part of his email back to 
my staff.
  ``As I wrote and mentioned to Congressman Jones before, trying to 
`win' in Afghanistan is a losing proposition. You are not dealing with 
a nation-state, nor are you dealing with state actors. Afghanistan is a 
tribal country, and we are involved in a tribal warfare. Bottom line: 
as I told Congressman Jones before, Afghanistan has been too tough a 
nut to crack for every nation that has ever tried to crack it. We need 
to figure out a way to honorably pack our bags and get out. It is not 
in our national interest to be there. Al Qaeda is the enemy . . . not 
some tribesmen who are loosely affiliated with something called the 
Taliban. Al Qaeda does not need Afghanistan to attack us. They play 
`whack-a-mole' . . . we beat them down in one location and they will 
pop up somewhere else. Case in point--Yemen. If we want to fight these 
guys, we need to fight like them. Hunter-killer teams supported by air 
and artillery . . . set ourselves up in the bad guys' backyard and hit 
them whenever they show their faces.''
  Madam Speaker, before I close, I want to say again that I am 
concerned about the issue of rules of engagement. I intend to write the 
chairman of the Armed Services Committee and ask for hearings, because 
it's not fair to send our men and women overseas to fight for this 
country and then tell them that they're handcuffed. They can only shoot 
at certain times to defend themselves.
  Madam Speaker, with that, before I yield back my time, as you know, I 
have signed over 9,000 letters to families and extended families who 
have lost loved ones in Afghanistan and Iraq because I will go to my 
grave regretting that I voted to send our troops to Iraq. Madam 
Speaker, 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 in his loving arms to hold the families who have given a child 
dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. And I will ask God to please 
bless the House and Senate, that we will do what is right in the eyes 
of God. And I will ask God to give wisdom, strength, and courage to the 
President of the United States, President Obama, that he will do what 
is right in the eyes of God. And I will ask three times, God please, 
God please, God please continue to bless America.

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