[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14820]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              AFGHANISTAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Jones) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES. Madam Speaker, I think you will note today that from both 
sides, the Democratic side and Republican side, there will be those of 
us who come to the floor to speak about bringing our troops home from 
Afghanistan. Friday of this week will be 10 years since we committed 
our troops to Afghanistan.
  I would like to quote from Andrew Bacevich, in an article 2 years 
ago, and the title, ``To Die for a Mystique":
  ``To apply to the Long War, the plaintive query that General David 
Petraeus once posed with regard to Iraq--`Tell me how this ends'--the 
answer is clear: No one has the foggiest idea. War has become like the 
changing phases of the moon. It's part of everyday existence. For 
American soldiers there is no end in sight.''
  Madam Speaker, that also applies to Afghanistan. Ten years later, so 
many have died, so many have been wounded.
  I say to the House with humility and regret that I have signed over 
10,400 letters to the immediate and extended families of the fallen 
from both Iraq and Afghanistan. Obviously, the majority of letters now 
are to the families of those who have been killed in Afghanistan.
  Poll after poll has shown that the American people in large 
percentages want our troops home now. This number of people continues 
to grow as the number of dead and wounded increases.
  Madam Speaker, beside me is a poster of a young Army couple where the 
husband has lost both legs and an arm. How many more have to give their 
lives, their minds, and their bodies for a corrupt Afghan leader named 
Karzai?
  I encourage the people of this country to put pressure on Congress, 
especially the Republican leadership, by calling their Members of 
Congress and telling them to bring our troops home before the 2015 
deadline.
  Why do I say 2015? I will quote Secretary Gates as he appeared before 
the Armed Services Committee in February of this year.
  Secretary Gates: ``That is why we believe that beginning in fiscal 
year 2015, the United States can, with minimal risk, begin reducing 
Army active duty end strength by 27,000 and the Marine Corps by 
somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000. These projections assume that the 
number of troops in Afghanistan would be significantly reduced by the 
end of 2014''--by the end of 2014--``in accordance with President 
Obama's strategy.''
  Madam Speaker, the problem there is that 2014 becomes 2015, 2015 
becomes 2016. How many more have to die? How many more have to lose 
legs and arms and try to live the rest of their lives in that kind of 
situation?
  Madam Speaker, I learned just recently that the Chinese are in 
Afghanistan buying copper, and this soldier told me that his unit was 
notified that the Chinese needed protection. How crazy is crazy? And 
our young men and women are over there walking the roads of 
Afghanistan.
  American people, join those of us in Congress in both parties. Let's 
bring them home now, not 2015.
  Madam Speaker, as I always close on the floor and I will close again 
today, I ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform. I ask 
God to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. I ask 
God in His loving arms to hold the families who have given a child 
dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. I ask God to please bless 
the House and Senate that we will do what is right in the eyes of God 
for His people. And I will ask God to give wisdom, strength, and 
courage to President Obama that he will do what is right in the eyes of 
God for God's people.
  And I close by asking three times, God please, God please, God please 
continue to bless America.

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