[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 143 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1701-E1702]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CORRESPONDENCE WITH DEFENSE SECRETARY PANETTA ON THE AFGHANISTAN/
                          PAKISTAN STUDY GROUP

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 23, 2011

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I submit my correspondence with the 
administration on my call for an Afghanistan/Pakistan Study Group. My 
letters to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta of August 31, 2011, and 
September 15, 2011, follow:

                                    Congress of the United States,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                  Washington, DC, August 31, 2011.
     Hon. Leon Panetta,
     Secretary of Defense, The Pentagon,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Secretary Panetta: I know you care deeply about the 
     men and women in uniform fighting in Afghanistan. That's why 
     I am disappointed that no one from your staff has contacted 
     former Ambassador Peter Tomsen, an expert on Afghanistan, to 
     meet with him, as I requested in my letter to you of August 1 
     (enclosed).
       Ambassador Tomsen's new book, The Wars of Afghanistan, is 
     receiving positive reviews, including the enclosed review in 
     the recent edition of Foreign Affairs. The review praises the 
     book as providing an in depth description of the social 
     structure of Afghanistan and the mistakes repeated by 
     numerous foreign countries that have tried to help establish 
     military and political cohesion in the country. The review 
     states, ``Whether one agrees with Tomsen, however, there is 
     no denying that his descriptions of Afghanistan's society and 
     politics are a valuable foundation for any discussion of how 
     the country should be governed. *  *  * Given Tomsen's track 
     record, Americans should give a respectful hearing to his 
     call for a thorough policy reformulation--something beyond 
     tweaks to troop numbers and counterinsurgency tactics.''
       I believe this book should be required reading for you and 
     your team at the Pentagon. Ambassador Tomsen is ready and 
     willing to lend his expertise to this important effort and I 
     again ask that you or your staff meet with him.
       Leon, I renew my call that you use your discretion as 
     secretary and create the Af/Pak Study Group. We owe it to the 
     men and women serving and the families and spouses at home to 
     ensure we have the correct strategy. After 10 years of 
     fighting, it is time to have a fresh set of eyes examine U.S. 
     strategy. Far from a sign of weakness, creating an 
     independent Af/Pak study group would show the nation that we 
     are doing everything possible to achieve our goals in this 
     region.
       I would welcome the chance to speak with you on this 
     matter.
       Best wishes,
           Sincerely,
                                                    Frank R. Wolf,
                                               Member of Congress.
                                  ____
                                  
                                    Congress of the United States,


                                     House of Representatives,

                               Washington, DC, September 15, 2011.
     The Hon. Leon Panetta,
     Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense, The 
         Pentagon, Washington DC.
       Dear Secretary Panetta: It was good to be with you at the 
     Pentagon on Sunday to honor the lives lost there 10 years ago 
     in the 9/11 attacks. I want to congratulate you on a moving 
     ceremony that showed reverence to the Pentagon employees and 
     the passengers of American Flight 77 that perished on that 
     awful morning. I appreciated your comments and those of 
     Admiral Mullen. Several of my constituents died at the 
     Pentagon and the first U.S. service member killed in 
     Afghanistan was my constituent. I thank you and all those who 
     have served in public office and in uniform in the 10 years 
     we have waged war against global terrorism.
       As I waited for the program to begin on Sunday, I saw you 
     and former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and was struck by a 
     vivid memory from 2005 of the events surrounding the Iraq 
     war. We were three years into the war, the security situation 
     in Iraq was deteriorating, and our soldiers were dying every 
     day. As a member of Congress who voted to send our troops to 
     fight, I believed I had the added responsibility to make sure 
     the administration was receiving the best advice possible on 
     our Iraq strategy.
       So I proposed creating the Iraq Study Group (ISG) made up 
     of experts outside government to bring what I called ``fresh 
     eyes'' on the target. Secretary Rumsfeld, General Pace, 
     Secretary Rice, and NSC Chairman Hadley all came to see the 
     value in the ISG. By your participation, I think it is fair 
     to say you also saw its benefit, and I greatly appreciated 
     your outstanding service on the bipartisan panel. You and the 
     other Democratic members who gave your time during a 
     Republican administration exemplified the true meaning of 
     service to your country.
       We are now into the 10th year of fighting in Afghanistan 
     and the challenges we face there continue. In 2001, I was the 
     first member of Congress, along with Rep. Joe Pitts, to visit 
     Afghanistan after the U.S. invasion, against the wishes of 
     the Defense Department. We saw firsthand the devastation that 
     the Taliban had visited on Kabul as well as the remnants of 
     the U.S. Embassy that was abandoned in 1979. I have also 
     traveled to Pakistan and seen the difficulties that country 
     faces combating the Afghan Taliban and other terror groups. 
     Despite the current conditions, all my experience in this 
     region tells me that success is possible if we formulate

[[Page E1702]]

     the right strategy to deal with both Afghanistan and 
     Pakistan.
       As with the ISG, I believe fresh eyes are needed now to 
     examine U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The security 
     situation continues to erode as evidenced by coordinated 
     insurgent attacks on heavily fortified U.S. and NATO 
     compounds just this week. The Taliban still finds safe haven 
     in the tribal wilderness of Pakistan and the ISI actively 
     funds terrorist groups.
       Given these and other concerns on the ground in 
     Afghanistan, I continue to be puzzled why you, the Joint 
     Chiefs of Staff and Secretary Clinton are not supporting the 
     Af/Pak Study Group idea in the same manner that Secretary 
     Rumsfeld and other Bush administration officials supported 
     the ISG. Having the experience of serving on the ISG and now 
     serving as Secretary of Defense with a Democratic president 
     (who I acknowledge inherited the war in Afghanistan), you are 
     in a unique position to make this group a reality. The 
     authorization and funding for the Af/Pak Study Group in the 
     House-passed Defense Appropriations bill gives you the 
     authority to create this group today.
       I have to tell you that I continue to be disappointed that 
     your staff has yet to contact former Ambassador Peter Tomsen 
     to discuss his book, The Wars of Afghanistan. His book 
     provides insightful information on the tribal structure of 
     both Afghanistan and Pakistan and the political allegiances 
     that underlie all actions in the region. I believe his 
     knowledge and experience in this region would be invaluable 
     in formatting future policy in South Asia. I respectfully ask 
     again, please take advantage of his work and meet with him as 
     soon as possible.
       Leon, I don't have the answers on Afghanistan. Perhaps 
     current U.S. strategy is the best way forward. But we owe it 
     to the men and women in uniform who have served and continue 
     to serve there--some paying the ultimate sacrifice--to know 
     definitively. I continue to believe that fresh eyes from 
     outside government focused on assessing the situation is the 
     prudent action to take. I ask that you take the advice of 
     those who support an Af/Pak Study Group, including Jim 
     Dobbins, General Charles Krulak, Ryan Crocker, who I spoke 
     with prior to his appointment as ambassador to Afghanistan, 
     and other prominent Americans with experience in this region.
       I believe it would be a sign of strength to appoint a study 
     group and let the American people know that the 
     administration is willing to examine all possible policies to 
     achieve a successful outcome in this troubled region.
       Best wishes.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Frank R. Wolf,
     Member of Congress.

                          ____________________