[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11990]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN

  (Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as a veteran of Iraq and 
Afghanistan, I am very concerned about the so-called ``zero option'' 
that was floated by the President.
  Hundreds of thousands have fought for a victory for the Afghan 
people; and on the eve of victory for the Afghan people, the President 
is floating the option of no troops post-2014. I ask, Is the Taliban 
cheering that discussion, or are they scared of it? I would say that 
they are cheering the idea of no U.S. troops.
  Sixty percent of the Afghan people are under the age of 20. It is a 
new society. Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that we are on the verge of 
snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I would call on the 
President to announce a smaller post-2014 force and send a message to 
the Taliban that we will not back down and you will never rule 
Afghanistan again.

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