[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11654-11655]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                AFGHANISTAN IS THE GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Jones) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, on July 18, I wrote to President Trump about 
my concern about the fact that he and Secretary of Defense Mattis are 
discussing how many more American troops must be sent to Afghanistan. 
Mr. Speaker, you being a marine, you know that I represent Marine Corps 
Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. We have 
been there 16 years. Nothing has changed. In fact, it has gotten worse.
  I would like to read just a few sentences from my letter. Again, this 
was delivered to the White House on July 18. I am going to read just 
sentences very quickly.
  ``Disappointed because after 16 years in Afghanistan, Congress 
deserves another vote on this conflict. Disappointed because almost $1 
trillion of taxpayers' money has been spent with no direct goal or 
strategy. And most importantly, I am disappointed because we continue 
to lose American lives.
  ``Sir, I am writing today because you seem to have had a change of 
heart on this issue.''
  I gave four examples of positions he has taken and tweets that he has 
sent out. I am just going to read two of them, Mr. Speaker.
  ``In August of 2011, you agreed with Ron Paul and said the U.S. was 
`wasting lives and money in Iraq and Afghanistan.' ''
  Another tweet: ``The next year, you said on Twitter, `Do not allow 
our very stupid leaders to sign a deal that keeps us in Afghanistan 
through 2024--with all costs by USA . . .' ''
  And the last I would like to read: ``You also tweeted that year, 
`Let's get out of Afghanistan. Our troops are being killed by the 
Afghanis we train and we waste billions there. Nonsense! Rebuild the 
USA.' ''
  I further stated: ``Mr. President, I agree with those remarks, and so 
does the 31st Commandant of the Marine Corps, my friend and unofficial 
adviser, General Chuck Krulak. As he said in a recent email to me, `No 
one has ever conquered Afghanistan . . . and many have tried. We will 
join the list of nations that have tried and failed.' ''
  I do not understand why this Congress and the leadership of this 
House will not let us have another debate. I put a bill in with John 
Garamendi, H.R. 1666, for the only reason that, after 16 years, we have 
not debated the future of Afghanistan.
  A report was out last night that the Russians are sending 
sophisticated weapons to the Taliban in Afghanistan, who will be 
fighting and killing Americans. I continue to call on the House 
leadership to please let us meet our constitutional responsibility and 
debate.
  I have said, with H.R. 1666, that John Garamendi and I have put in, 
join us in forcing a debate on the House and then vote against us, but 
give us a debate.
  I further said to the President: ``Once you come to a consensus''--
and this is raising the troop levels--``I suggest you publicly go 
before the American people and U.S. military to explain the benchmarks 
you choose for Afghanistan.''
  Why are we going to send more Americans to fight and die in 
Afghanistan?
  And also give the American people an idea of what we are trying to 
achieve. For 16 years, there are very few of the marines in my district 
who have been there three, four, and five times, and I will say to 
them, ``What have we accomplished?'' and they will say back to me, 
``Very little. Very little.'' Yet we sit here in Congress and we fund 
billions of dollars. We will have a vote in 2 days to spend billions of 
dollars on Afghanistan, and there is very little accountability. This 
is not what this House needs to be doing, especially when we are 
sending our young men and women to give their life for this country.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record this letter to President Trump 
and ask President Trump to please stay strong in his beliefs and that 
it is a waste of money, life, and time to be in Afghanistan.

                                    Congress of the United States,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                    Washington, DC, July 18, 2017.
     President Donald J. Trump,
     The White House,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: Many of us in the U.S. House of 
     Representatives believe we have been denied our sacred duty 
     to debate and declare war. You could say that I am 
     disappointed by this. Disappointed because after 16 years in 
     Afghanistan, Congress deserves another vote on this conflict. 
     Disappointed because almost $1 trillion of taxpayers' money 
     has been spent with no direct goal or strategy. And most 
     importantly, I am disappointed because we continue to lose 
     American lives.
       Sir, I am writing today because you seem to have had a 
     change of heart on this issue:
       1. In August of 2011, you agreed with Ron Paul and said the 
     U.S. was ``wasting lives and money in Iraq and Afghanistan.''
       2. In 2012, you referred to Afghanistan as a ``complete 
     waste,'' and declared it was ``time to come home.''
       3. The next year, you said on Twitter, ``Do not allow our 
     very stupid leaders to sign a deal that keeps us in 
     Afghanistan through 2024--with all costs by U.S.A. . . .''
       4. You also tweeted that year, ``Let's get out of 
     Afghanistan. Our troops are being killed by the Afghanis we 
     train and we waste billions there. Nonsense! Rebuild the 
     USA.''
       Mr. President, I agree with those remarks, and so does the 
     31st Commandant of Marines Corps, my friend,. and unofficial 
     advisor, General Chuck Krulak. As he said in a recent email 
     to me, ``NO ONE has ever conquered Afghanistan . . . and many 
     have tried. We will join the list of Nations that have tried 
     and failed.''
       Mr. President, that is why I am asking you to review this 
     thinking before approving any troop level increases from 
     General Mattis. I believe you would see great benefit and 
     wisdom in asking Congress to debate and vote on troop level 
     increases as well. You would then have the American people 
     and their elected officials share a decision to send more of 
     our sons and daughters into harm's way. Once you come to a 
     consensus, I suggest you publicly go before the American 
     people and U.S. military to explain the benchmarks you choose 
     for Afghanistan. Previous administrations have not been able 
     to clarify those endpoints, which is unfair to taxpayers and 
     our troops. In the end, we all share this responsibility, and 
     it is time that not only Congress but also the American 
     people have a say. Sixteen years is enough!

[[Page 11655]]

       Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires! We do not want a 
     tombstone to read ``United States of America.''
           Respectfully,
                                                  Walter B. Jones,
                                               Member of Congress.

  Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I close by showing the face of a little girl 
who is standing there with her mother and wondering why her daddy is in 
a flag-draped coffin, and I could not explain to her. He died in 
Afghanistan. I don't know why he is dead in a flag-draped coffin.
  God bless our men and women in uniform, and God bless America.

                          ____________________