[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 17, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E403-E404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            H. CON. RES. 248, THE AFGHANISTAN WAR POWERS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 17, 2010

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this 
resolution. The immediate

[[Page E404]]

withdrawal of American and NATO forces from Afghanistan would put our 
Nation at greater risk of another 9/11 type attack from al Qaeda.
  Unlike the Iraq war, the war in Afghanistan is not a war of our 
choosing. As President Obama pointed out during his speech at West 
Point last year, our troops are in the field because on September 11, 
2001, al Qaeda launched a direct attack on the United States--killing 
thousands of innocent Americans. The United States is fully justified 
in taking action against al Qaeda and the Taliban and we continue to 
have the strong backing of our NATO allies and the international 
community.
  Unfortunately, under the Bush Administration, many of our troops and 
resources were diverted away from Afghanistan to Iraq. As a result, al 
Qaeda and the Taliban began to regain strength and al Qaeda continues 
to plot against Americans from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. 
During his campaign for president, Barack Obama made it clear that he 
would end America's involvement in the war in Iraq and focus U.S. 
efforts on al Qaeda.
  While there is no doubt that al Qaeda operates in parts of Yemen, 
Sudan, Somalia, and other areas, the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region 
remains the operational and ideological center for al Qaeda's global 
operations. The president is right to conclude that allowing al Qaeda 
to operate there unchecked poses a serious security risk to the U.S. 
and American citizens around the world.
  The immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan would have 
two immediate consequences. First, it would immediately strengthen the 
hand of the most extremist Taliban leaders (those most closely tied to 
al Qaeda), undercutting any leverage behind ongoing efforts to get some 
Taliban fighters to lay down their arms and it would also undermine 
Afghan President Hamid Karzai's new initiative to reach a political 
accommodation with the members of the Taliban open to national 
reconciliation. If such a political solution is undermined and the old 
Taliban regime retakes control of Afghanistan, they will again turn 
that country into a safe haven for expanded al Qaeda operations. It 
would also lead to the return of an extreme Taliban regime that 
encourages horrendous acts like pouring gasoline into the eyes of girls 
who attempt to go to school. Second, an immediate withdrawal of NATO 
forces would weaken Pakistan's resolve to confront the Pakistani 
Taliban, the Afghan Taliban, and al Qaeda. The most promising 
development over the last year has been the Government of Pakistan's 
willingness to fight the growing menace of the Pakistani Taliban. In 
addition, very recently, the Pakistani government has also shown a 
willingness to confront elements of the Afghan Taliban. The recent 
capture of Mullah Bandar, the operational chief of the Afghan Taliban, 
and two Afghan Taliban shadow governors, demonstrates this progress. 
The withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan would sabotage those 
nascent efforts. Why should the Pakistani forces confront the Afghan 
Taliban if the U.S. walks away now?
  President Obama has developed a carefully considered and 
comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan that relies not 
only on the use of troops but also on the use civilian resources.
  The strategy has three parts. First, coalition forces will reverse 
the Taliban's momentum by working to stabilize major population centers 
and accelerate the expansion of the Afghan national security forces.
  Second, the U.S. will work with its partners to create a more 
effective civilian strategy--with the goal of establishing sustainable 
economic opportunities for Afghans and strengthening the country's 
national and local governance structures.
  Third, the strategy engages Pakistan as a full partner in these 
efforts. As a result of better coordination between our two countries, 
for the first time since the beginning of the war, al Qaeda and the 
Taliban are being genuinely challenged by the Pakistan military.
  The president's strategy contains a timeline which initiates a 
responsible redeployment of American troops in July 2011. He has 
established this timeline to send a clear message to the Afghan 
government that they must take seriously their role in creating a 
stable Afghanistan and to communicate to the people of Afghanistan that 
the U.S. has no interest in an open-ended engagement in their country.
  The new strategy has already shown promising signs of success. We 
should not undermine this effort by the immediate and total withdrawal 
of all U.S./NATO forces.

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