[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 26549]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN

  (Mr. BUCHANAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I returned yesterday from a 4-day visit to 
Afghanistan to meet with the troops and our military leaders as part of 
a bipartisan congressional delegation. It's clear to me that our 
soldiers are performing at a high level in a challenging environment. 
Their dedication and spirit is strong as they work to prevent al Qaeda 
from regaining a foothold. It's also clear that we need to increase the 
number of troops there to help them succeed. I believe firmly that this 
is the best means of protecting the United States and our people from 
terrorist attacks. There is no question that the Taliban is a 
destabilizing force with ties to al Qaeda. The Taliban is a threat to 
the national security of America. We need to provide the resources to 
our troops to ensure that their counterinsurgency strategy is 
successful. The new troop level should be determined by whatever is 
needed to accomplish the mission. Congress should give strong 
consideration to our military leaders in answering this question.
  Let me close by saying that I'm very proud of all the men and women 
serving in Afghanistan. They are highly skilled, motivated, and I am 
confident that with the additional troops, they can achieve their 
mission. They are genuine heroes.

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