[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 48 (Thursday, March 22, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  THE CURRENT SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN

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                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 22, 2012

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, tragic events in the last few weeks in 
Afghanistan have underscored the messages I have continuously 
emphasized in Congress in the past. As long as we pursue military 
solutions to the unrest in Afghanistan while foregoing attention to 
economic, political and social solutions, security will remain elusive. 
Our military service officers are heroes, but we are failing them as we 
continue to pursue a strategy that lacks proper understanding of both 
the social constructs of the Afghan people and the meaning of peace.
  It is our duty as Americans to give the people of Afghanistan what 
they want, not what we want to give them. Afghan citizens want peace, 
they want security and they want the right to self-determination based 
on their own social, cultural, and religious values. Afghans do not 
want to be at the constant risk of night raids and air strikes that 
could kill their friends and neighbors, checkpoints and security 
barriers that keep their families apart, or incidences of violence 
which sometimes involve International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) 
troops and contract security forces. And they certainly do not want 
foreigners burning the Holy Quran, which all Muslims hold as dear as 
life, or have their very own safety compromised by foreign forces who 
should be there to protect them.
  As members of the United States government, we also owe the American 
people what they want, and not what we want to give them. In this 
regard, we are failing our own people as they face the difficulties 
brought on by the global economic crisis while lives, money and 
resources are being wasted abroad in an effort which has, sadly, led to 
resentment and the incitement of hatred against America.
  Last week, the Department of Defense Comptroller confirmed one of our 
worst kept secrets--that the deployment of one soldier to Afghanistan 
for one year costs $850,000. We currently have 90,000 soldiers deployed 
in Afghanistan. Additionally, we have 1,142 U.S. civilians from the 
State Department and other non-defense agencies currently in 
Afghanistan, and each civilian costs taxpayers $570,000 per year, 
according to the most recent estimate from the Special Inspector 
General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Furthermore, in 2011, our 
taxpayers spent $11.2 billion to pay, train and equip Afghanistan's 
security force. Over the past ten years the U.S. has spent more than 
$550 billion in Afghanistan alone, or about $1 billion per week.
  A new Washington Post poll finds that sixty percent of American 
voters feel that the war was not worth fighting. It also finds that, 
for the first time, Republican voters are ``evenly split'' on the 
wisdom of continuing this war. This is what America wants, and it is 
our duty to respect that.
  Last year, as co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus's 
Peace and Security Taskforce, I urged President Obama to bring about 
the swift, safe and responsible withdrawal of U.S. troops and military 
contractors from Afghanistan. We asked for plans for a significant 
drawdown, beginning no later than July of this year.
  We welcome the news that Congress's calls to the White House have 
finally been heard. On February 1, 2012, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta 
said that while American troops will still leave Afghanistan by the end 
of 2014, plans were laid out so that by late next year, U.S. and NATO 
troops in Afghanistan will switch from a combat role to a training 
mission. The Administration may further want to take heed of the same 
Washington Post poll which revealed that fifty-four percent of all 
voters want the U.S. to withdraw troops even faster than the 
President's 2014 timetable.
  As we look forward to our future role as global leaders of peace and 
security, we must not forget our past and present mistakes. Our 
international affairs priorities must be anchored in the recognition 
that our national security is inextricably linked to our economic 
vitality. We cannot fight for global security but ignore the economic 
security of the people of America. We need a budget that reflects the 
fact that diplomacy and development prevents wars, because smart 
security can lead to global stability at a fraction of the cost, 
freeing up funds to engage in nation building here at home. As we look 
forward to the question of how to handle future matters in the Middle 
East, these are the priorities that we simply cannot afford to forget.
  Mr. Speaker, Peace and Security are created through a well-
functioning government, a fair and prosperous economy, and a harmonious 
society. We have failed the Afghan people on each and every one of 
these fronts, and in so doing, we, we have also failed ourselves and 
our constituents. As we reflect on the recent military tragedies in 
Afghanistan, we must ask ourselves how many more apologies we can 
afford to offer.

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