4 Veterans in Congress write to Secretary Mattis expressing "grave concerns about the direction of the war in Afghanistan"

Statement

Today, Congressmen Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Ted Lieu (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis expressing serious concerns regarding the future direction of the US military campaign in Afghanistan. Their letter criticizes the administration for the lengthy delay in finalizing its strategy for the conflict and expresses strong skepticism that the addition of several thousand US troops will be sufficient to achieve America's objectives. After 16 years of fighting and the loss of thousands of American lives, the Members also urged Mattis to clearly state that America's military commitment in Afghanistan will not be open-ended.

"Secretary Mattis is right -- we definitely aren't winning in Afghanistan. And it's completely unacceptable that 6 months into the new administration, President Trump and his advisors still can't agree on a strategy," said Rep. Ruben Gallego, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a Marine Corps combat veteran. "Deploying a few thousand additional American troops might buy the struggling Afghan government more time, but it certainly won't produce any lasting gains. I strongly object to sending more brave young Americans into harm's way without a real plan, simply to kick the can down the road."

"A decision on increasing U.S. military operations in Afghanistan should originate from clearly-defined political objectives--not the other way around. It is deeply troubling that six months into the new Administration, the President has not articulated his strategy for the wars our men and women in uniform are actively fighting," said Rep. Ted Lieu. "The American people deserve a clear cut plan for strategic success, not political bluster and inconsistent, inadequate leadership."

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