[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1917]
[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. Mr. Speaker, I wish all of the Members of the House could 
take the time to read the National Intelligence Estimate on 
Afghanistan. It's classified, but I think they would benefit greatly as 
both parties continue to try to bring our troops home from Afghanistan 
sooner than 2013.
  I do want to compliment the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Panetta. I did 
yesterday, in a hearing, and thanked him for saying that he would start 
bringing the combat troops home by 2013.
  Mr. Speaker, I've been advised on Afghanistan by a military marine 
general for the last 3 years. I have great respect for him. He is a man 
of faith, and he has served our country at the highest rank in this 
particular type of service. I can't say his name because he asked me 
not to use his name publicly, but this marine general has been my 
adviser for 3 years. We exchanged emails last week, and I'd like to 
share for the House a couple of his thoughts on the email that he sent 
to me last week:

       Attempting to find a true military and political answer to 
     the problems in Afghanistan would take decades, not years, 
     and drain our Nation of precious resources--with the most 
     precious being our sons and daughters.
       Simply put, the United States cannot solve the Afghan 
     problem no matter how brave and determined our troops are.
       We need to bring our people home and prepare for the real 
     danger that is growing in the Pacific.

  Again, I have the utmost respect for this man, and I think the 
American people would if I could say his name.
  One of our marines who is serving as a Village Stability Operations 
team leader in Afghanistan--they're known as VSOs--emailed a friend of 
his recently, and the friend shared the email with me: ``If you ask me 
if it is worth a single American life to build governance here in 
Afghanistan, I would have to say no.'' This man is over there trying to 
help the Afghan people, but obviously he has no faith. He basically 
said--and I'm paraphrasing now--that he has absolutely no confidence in 
the Afghans being able to have a functional, successful military or 
police force.
  I thank him for his thoughts, and I've shared them with the House 
today.
  There is Lieutenant Colonel Danny Davis, who some in both parties 
have met with. He spent 9 months in Afghanistan, and 3 weeks ago, he 
came out publicly. He is an active duty Army colonel, saying that it's 
time to get our troops out and that there is nothing we're going to 
change in Afghanistan.
  I want to say that I respect the colonel for trying to tell the 
American people the truth and for telling Congress the truth, which is 
that we're spending $10 billion a month to prop up a corrupt leader, 
and nothing is going to change. That's why I shared the thoughts of the 
team leader and also of the retired marine general.
  In a long Wall Street Journal article of February 10, titled, ``Roads 
to Nowhere: Program to Win over Afghans Fails,'' I will quote one 
paragraph:

       Three years and nearly $270 million later, less than 100 
     miles of gravel road have been completed, according to 
     American officials. More than 125 people were killed and 250 
     others were wounded in insurgent attacks aimed at derailing 
     the project, USAID said. The agency shut down the road-
     building effort in December.

  Mr. Speaker, this is what both parties are trying to say: We keep 
spending money we don't have. We're cutting programs for children and 
senior citizens. We can't help with infrastructure, but we can find $10 
billion a month to prop up a corrupt leader.
  Does that make any sense? I think not. The American people have said 
it makes no sense at all.
  I have a photograph--well, a poster, actually, Mr. Speaker. This is a 
beautiful little girl who is 3 years old. Her mother is in tears, and 
her grandmother is patting the mother on the shoulder. The little girl 
is looking at a marine officer, who is presenting a folded flag to the 
mother.
  All I can think about as to that little girl is, one day, she will 
say to her mother, Tell me about my father.
  Her mother will say, Well, your father was a wonderful man, and he 
gave his life in Afghanistan.
  Then the little girl will go to school, and she will read the books 
about the war in Afghanistan. She'll ask, Why did my father die?
  He died for nothing. He died for a corrupt leader, and history has 
said Afghanistan will never, never change.
  So I want to thank my colleagues on the Democratic side who have 
joined me and the few Republicans who have joined me on the Republican 
side. Let's bring our troops home. Let's spend the money here in 
America, and let's save the lives of our soldiers and marines and of 
all those who serve in the military.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask God to please bless 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. I ask God to please bless the President that he will do what is 
right in the eyes of God for the American people.
  And three times, I will say, God please, God please, God please 
continue to bless America.

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