[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 16, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   AFGHANISTAN WAR POWERS RESOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 10, 2010

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this resolution.
  As a proud veteran of the United States Army, I have always worked to 
serve our men and women in uniform, our veterans, military families and 
their communities. In the U.S. House, I have the honor of representing 
Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base.
  I recently traveled to Afghanistan to visit our troops and get a 
firsthand view of the situation on the ground. I met with 82nd Airborne 
troops as well as those from the North Carolina National Guard. They 
are doing a great job under the most trying of circumstances, and they 
make us all proud.
  After the end of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the United 
States simply walked away from a failed state. We know the impact that 
that decision has had on our history. We cannot simply walk away again. 
We must empower the Afghan army, security forces and the Afghan people 
themselves to tend to their security needs and build functioning civil 
institutions. We must not allow the Taliban to return to power in 
Afghanistan and once again use that country to become a staging ground 
for Al Qaeda terrorists targeting America and our allies. And we must 
stabilize this fragile region that includes the nuclear armed republic 
in next door Pakistan. These are daunting challenges, but our military 
men and women and their civilian counterparts are making progress and 
deserve our support.
  Mr. Speaker, we should give our troops all of the resources they 
need, and make sure that we keep them in our prayers and appreciation. 
I am sure that my colleagues will join me in expressing our thanks. I 
thank first and foremost the Americans serving in Afghanistan. I thank 
their families for their tremendous sacrifice at home. I thank our 
allies, who would be left with an overwhelming task should we neglect 
our national commitments and suddenly depart. I thank the vast majority 
of the Afghanis, who are working with us for their own futures in a 
functioning state. It is for their efforts, and all of their reasons 
for continuing to work tomorrow, that we should reject this resolution.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in support of our troops and in 
opposition to this resolution.

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