Kentucky And Indiana Congressional Delagations React To POTUS Barack Obama's Aghanistan Troop "Surge 2". Read More Below.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
“I support the president's decision to allow the advice of Generals Petraeus and McChrystal to guide him in making a decision to surge forces into Afghanistan. The additional forces in support of a counterinsurgency strategy will allow our commanders to begin the difficult work of preparing and deploying the ground forces necessary to reverse the momentum of the Taliban. The president was absolutely right to call for building a sufficient ‘Afghan capacity' that will allow for our troops to come home, rather than setting a hard withdrawal date that's not based on conditions on the ground or the advice of our generals. We owe it to the American people to ensure that Afghanistan never again serves as a sanctuary for al-Qaida. We owe it to the brave Americans who are now or will be deployed in pursuit of this objective to provide every resource necessary to prevail…”
Rep. John Yarmuth, D-3rd District
“Like most Americans, I believe we must end our involvement in Afghanistan as soon as possible. So, I applaud the president's commitment to a quick exit strategy for our troops and to preventing future terrorist attacks on our soil. While I have the utmost confidence that our troops will complete their mission admirably and effectively, unfortunately, this strategy depends on an unreliable Afghan government. The president must monitor their progress in assuming responsibility for their own security.”
Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., member of the Senate Armed Services and Select Intelligence committees
“No one wants to send more money or more American soldiers to Afghanistan, including me. But we were attacked from that country, and 3,000 innocent Americans were killed. We must do what it takes to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a platform for attacks on the United States. This is a very difficult and complex situation with no guarantee of success. I am glad that the president has taken the time to maximize the chances that we will succeed. It is vitally important that we make the Afghans do their part. This cannot be a blank check or an open-ended commitment on the part of the United States. The president's approach gives us the best chance to stabilize Afghanistan so that we may ultimately leave with America's national security interests having been met.”
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
“The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing on the president's new orders with Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Defense Gates, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen on Thursday. While acknowledging the president has made a strong case for his course of action to the American people and the Congress, we look forward to opportunities to learn more details and to establish an even stronger framework for public debate.”
Rep. Hal Rogers, R-5 th District, member of the House Appropriations Committee's homeland security subcommittee
“I support the president's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. This decision will keep America safer, strengthen our fight against terrorism, and protect the freedoms and way of life that we too often take for granted in this country. I am, however, disappointed that the president has added a premature deadline for withdrawal. While no one wants our troops to remain overseas indefinitely, it is imprudent to set arbitrary deadlines that do nothing but announce our strategy to the very terrorists that are plotting against us. …”
Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky.
“It's about time. We have waited far too long for this decision from President Obama. Every day that the president has procrastinated on this, he has unnecessarily put the lives of our service members at risk. I am glad he is finally heeding the call of our commanders for more troops. However, I have serious concerns about President Obama's commitment to actually winning the war given his troubling decision to set a timetable for troop withdrawal. By announcing an arbitrary deadline for our forces to come home — possibly before the job is done — the president is telling our enemies how long they will have to hold out and wait until we leave. I fear he could be setting all our efforts up for defeat and further putting our fighting men and women in danger. … We learned a lot from the Bush administration's revised strategy for Iraq that put that war on a path to success. It would be a shame if this president did not apply those hard-learned lessons to the current conflict in Afghanistan.”
Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-2 nd District
“It is imperative that we listen to our commanders on the ground and give our troops the resources they need to allow them to succeed. I was pleased with the president's decision to support General McChrystal's recommendations to increase troop levels. Our focus should remain on stabilizing the country of Afghanistan and denying the Taliban and al-Qaida a refuge to attack, and we should not waver. Here in Congress, we should work to ensure our troops have the tools they need to effectively carry out their mission. …”
Rep. Geoff Davis, R-4 th District, issued by spokeswoman Alexandra Haynes
“General Stanley McChrystal is an accomplished commander hand-picked for this assignment by President Barack Obama. The general has been given a mission by the president and has briefed the president on his requirements for accomplishing that mission. …Congressman Davis will be releasing a statement once he has reviewed (the) new strategy.”
Rep. Ben Chandler, D-6 th District
“Decisions like the one announced tonight by President Obama are always difficult. I have been to both Iraq and Afghanistan, and I have seen the situation on the ground. For years, I have been concerned that the previous administration had the wrong priorities — instead of directing resources to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan, we took our eye off the ball. Now, reluctantly, we will again have to call on our brave troops to finish a job in Afghanistan that should have been finished years ago.”
Rep. Baron Hill, D-9 th District, Indiana
“President Obama has given this issue the time and attention it merits. As such, I would like to treat his proposal in the same manner. I will review the proposal carefully, while also gathering the opinions of local military leaders.”
(H/T: the C-J).
“I support the president's decision to allow the advice of Generals Petraeus and McChrystal to guide him in making a decision to surge forces into Afghanistan. The additional forces in support of a counterinsurgency strategy will allow our commanders to begin the difficult work of preparing and deploying the ground forces necessary to reverse the momentum of the Taliban. The president was absolutely right to call for building a sufficient ‘Afghan capacity' that will allow for our troops to come home, rather than setting a hard withdrawal date that's not based on conditions on the ground or the advice of our generals. We owe it to the American people to ensure that Afghanistan never again serves as a sanctuary for al-Qaida. We owe it to the brave Americans who are now or will be deployed in pursuit of this objective to provide every resource necessary to prevail…”
Rep. John Yarmuth, D-3rd District
“Like most Americans, I believe we must end our involvement in Afghanistan as soon as possible. So, I applaud the president's commitment to a quick exit strategy for our troops and to preventing future terrorist attacks on our soil. While I have the utmost confidence that our troops will complete their mission admirably and effectively, unfortunately, this strategy depends on an unreliable Afghan government. The president must monitor their progress in assuming responsibility for their own security.”
Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., member of the Senate Armed Services and Select Intelligence committees
“No one wants to send more money or more American soldiers to Afghanistan, including me. But we were attacked from that country, and 3,000 innocent Americans were killed. We must do what it takes to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a platform for attacks on the United States. This is a very difficult and complex situation with no guarantee of success. I am glad that the president has taken the time to maximize the chances that we will succeed. It is vitally important that we make the Afghans do their part. This cannot be a blank check or an open-ended commitment on the part of the United States. The president's approach gives us the best chance to stabilize Afghanistan so that we may ultimately leave with America's national security interests having been met.”
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
“The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing on the president's new orders with Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Defense Gates, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen on Thursday. While acknowledging the president has made a strong case for his course of action to the American people and the Congress, we look forward to opportunities to learn more details and to establish an even stronger framework for public debate.”
Rep. Hal Rogers, R-5 th District, member of the House Appropriations Committee's homeland security subcommittee
“I support the president's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. This decision will keep America safer, strengthen our fight against terrorism, and protect the freedoms and way of life that we too often take for granted in this country. I am, however, disappointed that the president has added a premature deadline for withdrawal. While no one wants our troops to remain overseas indefinitely, it is imprudent to set arbitrary deadlines that do nothing but announce our strategy to the very terrorists that are plotting against us. …”
Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky.
“It's about time. We have waited far too long for this decision from President Obama. Every day that the president has procrastinated on this, he has unnecessarily put the lives of our service members at risk. I am glad he is finally heeding the call of our commanders for more troops. However, I have serious concerns about President Obama's commitment to actually winning the war given his troubling decision to set a timetable for troop withdrawal. By announcing an arbitrary deadline for our forces to come home — possibly before the job is done — the president is telling our enemies how long they will have to hold out and wait until we leave. I fear he could be setting all our efforts up for defeat and further putting our fighting men and women in danger. … We learned a lot from the Bush administration's revised strategy for Iraq that put that war on a path to success. It would be a shame if this president did not apply those hard-learned lessons to the current conflict in Afghanistan.”
Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-2 nd District
“It is imperative that we listen to our commanders on the ground and give our troops the resources they need to allow them to succeed. I was pleased with the president's decision to support General McChrystal's recommendations to increase troop levels. Our focus should remain on stabilizing the country of Afghanistan and denying the Taliban and al-Qaida a refuge to attack, and we should not waver. Here in Congress, we should work to ensure our troops have the tools they need to effectively carry out their mission. …”
Rep. Geoff Davis, R-4 th District, issued by spokeswoman Alexandra Haynes
“General Stanley McChrystal is an accomplished commander hand-picked for this assignment by President Barack Obama. The general has been given a mission by the president and has briefed the president on his requirements for accomplishing that mission. …Congressman Davis will be releasing a statement once he has reviewed (the) new strategy.”
Rep. Ben Chandler, D-6 th District
“Decisions like the one announced tonight by President Obama are always difficult. I have been to both Iraq and Afghanistan, and I have seen the situation on the ground. For years, I have been concerned that the previous administration had the wrong priorities — instead of directing resources to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan, we took our eye off the ball. Now, reluctantly, we will again have to call on our brave troops to finish a job in Afghanistan that should have been finished years ago.”
Rep. Baron Hill, D-9 th District, Indiana
“President Obama has given this issue the time and attention it merits. As such, I would like to treat his proposal in the same manner. I will review the proposal carefully, while also gathering the opinions of local military leaders.”
(H/T: the C-J).
Labels: Middle East, Military, POTUS Barack Obama, Terror
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 11:25 PM
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