[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 29, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H4952]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            AN NCO RECOGNIZES A FLAWED AFGHANISTAN STRATEGY

  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, I want to share with the House words from 
George Will. It was a syndicated column that he wrote on the 20th of 
June of this year. The title is ``An NCO recognizes a flawed 
Afghanistan strategy.''
  In receipt of a recent email from a noncommissioned officer serving 
in Afghanistan, he explains why the rules of engagement for U.S. troops 
are too prohibitive for coalition forces to achieve sustained tactical 
success.
  Receiving mortar fire during an overnight mission, his unit called 
for a 155 millimeter howitzer illumination round to be fired to reveal 
the enemy's location. The request was rejected, and I quote, Madam 
Speaker, ``on the grounds that it may cause collateral damage.'' The 
NCO says that the only thing that comes down from an illumination round 
is a cannister, and the likelihood of it hitting someone or something 
was akin to that of being struck by lightning.
  I further read from this article: ``Returning from a mission, his 
unit took casualties from an improvised explosive device that the unit 
knew had been placed no more than an hour earlier.''
  I quote again: ``There were villagers laughing at the U.S. 
casualties'' and ``two suspicious individuals were seen fleeing the 
scene and entering a home.'' U.S. forces are no longer allowed to 
search homes without Afghan National Security Forces personnel present. 
But when his unit asked the Afghan police to search the house, the 
police refused on grounds that the people in the house ``are good 
people.''
  Madam Speaker, Afghanistan is a chaotic situation. As my friend Mr. 
McGovern said, they have a corrupt government. There is not anything we 
can do to take a country that has never been a nation to make it a 
nation.
  Madam Speaker, I, along with Congressman Jeff Miller and Congressman 
Doug Lamborn, have asked the chairman and ranking member of the Armed 
Services Committee to hold classified hearings on what is called rules 
of engagement.

                              {time}  1700

  I wish I could read this entire article, but I can't because of time. 
But I want to read the close of George Will's column. And George Will 
is a conservative. ``President Obama has counted on his 2011 run-up to 
re-election being smoothed by three developments in 2010--the health 
care legislation becoming popular after enactment, job creation 
accelerating briskly, and Afghanistan conditions improving 
significantly.''
  I further read: ``The first two are not happening. He can decisively 
influence only the third, and only by adhering to his timetable for 
disentangling U.S. forces from this misadventure.''
  Madam Speaker, I am on the letter that Mr. McGovern made reference to 
a while ago. I have Camp Lejeune Marine Base in my district and Cherry 
Point Marine Air Station. And we're wearing out our military. Madam 
Speaker, I hope the President will keep his word and have a timetable 
to get our troops out of Afghanistan.
  With that, Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to ask God to 
please bless our men and women in uniform. I ask God please bless the 
families of our men and women in uniform. I ask God to please in his 
arms hold the families who have given a child dying for freedom in 
Afghanistan and Iraq. Madam Speaker, I ask God to bless the House and 
Senate, that we will do what is right in the eyes of God. And I ask God 
to give wisdom, strength, and courage to President Obama that he will 
do what is right in the eyes of God. And three times I will say please 
God, please God, please God, continue to bless America.

                          ____________________