[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 12, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H3314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
END KARZAI'S WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
(Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. KUCINICH. Afghan President Karzai is in Washington this week
seeking another $33 billion to keep the war going, meeting with the
White House to present his so-called ``peace proposal'' to allocate
$160 million from international donors to fund new government bodies,
pay off insurgents who agree to stop fighting, and to undermine efforts
to establish local governance.
Ranked the second most corrupt government in the world, only behind
Somalia, Mr. Karzai's blatant government corruption, his ties to Big
Oil, and his ties to Afghanistan's most notorious drug pushers,
including his own brother, is no secret. While he's being treated as
royalty in Washington, millions of dollars shuffle through Kabul
Airport, unaccounted for, as Mr. Karzai builds villas in Dubai.
Meanwhile, I have constituents in Cleveland who are struggling to stay
in their homes.
The longer this charade of nation building and counterinsurgency
strategy in Afghanistan continues, the more U.S. soldiers and innocent
Afghan civilians die. He wants $33 billion for war to continue in
Afghanistan. Here at home, Americans need jobs and access to education
and health care. Billions would be better spent rebuilding America than
sending it to Afghanistan to continue a war.
Bring our troops home. End the war.
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