Issue Position: Iraq and Afghanistan

Issue Position

As a 20-year veteran of the United States Army, I know firsthand that Congress' greatest responsibility is supporting our Armed Forces. The next two years will be defining moments in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we must ensure that our troops have the resources to complete their missions and return home in success.

In 2007, Democrat leaders in Congress said the war in Iraq was lost and predicted that the surge of forces led by General Petraeus would fail. But the surge in Iraq succeeded thanks to the hard work and sacrifices made by our troops, and Iraq is now on the verge of becoming a stable democracy.

As U.S. forces begin to leave Iraq, our withdrawal should be based on conditions on the ground, not artificial timelines. We should follow the advice of our commanders to ensure that we don't undermine stability in the region. Too many of our young men and women have sacrificed their lives in Iraq, and we owe it to them to leave that country in success.

In Afghanistan, a similar surge of forces is under way. Many people who doubted that the surge in Iraq would succeed are now saying the same thing about the surge in Afghanistan. We need to support General Petraeus and General McChrystal as they implement this new policy and work to secure Afghanistan.

If we retreat from Afghanistan, the Taliban will return to power and the country will once again become a safe haven for Al Qaeda. This is the exact situation that led to the attacks of September 11, 2001, and we must do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again.

The Agosta Plan

Our strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan should be based on the following principles:

No Artificial Timelines For Withdrawal. Any withdrawal of U.S. forces should be based on the recommendations of our generals and conditions on the ground. We've sacrificed too much in Iraq and Afghanistan to leave those countries before they can defend themselves and maintain the gains we've made over the past few years.

Give Our Generals The Troops And Resources They Need. Last year, General McChrystal warned that unless more troops were sent to Afghanistan, the war in that country would be lost. In Iraq, General Odierno has said that while the withdrawal of U.S. troops is currently on schedule, he will constantly reassess the situation due to new developments on the ground. We need to give our commanders the resources they need to preserve security in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Help Iraq Become A Democratic Ally In The War On Terror. Iraq's recent parliamentary election was the result of years of hard work and sacrifice by the Iraqi people and our brave Armed Forces. As our troops leave Iraq, we must ensure that democracy in Iraq succeeds and that Iraq remains an ally against terrorists and hostile regimes in the Middle East.

Establish An Afghan Government That Can Protect And Defend Itself. Al Qaeda was able to plot the September 11 attacks because they were given a safe haven in Afghanistan. If we fail to build a strong, stable, and democratic Afghanistan, the Taliban will return to power there and it will once again become a safe haven for Al Qaeda.

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