Congresswoman Kay Granger
I just returned from a trip to Afghanistan that included a meeting with General Stanley McChrystal our top commander on the ground. The trip gave me a chance to see first-hand the challenges our military is facing. With President Obamas long overdue announcement about the future of our troops in Afghanistan coming Tuesday this trip was particularly timely.
In my meeting with Gen. McChrystal we discussed his desire to see additional troops added to the mission in order to create the time and space necessary to allow Afghan security forces to be effectively trained so a functional elected leadership can fully inherit the responsibility of governance. Election laws must be revised to empower local officials and traditional leadership bodies such as the Loya Jirga. There is a growing disaffection between the government and its people.
What I saw in Afghanistan concerns me. We have a lot of work to do. But what Ive seen over the last few months from the Obama administration concerns me even more. We have needed action and resolve but have been left with meetings discussions and indecision.
It is ironic that the same President who pushed for big government spending policies in record time has been unable to decide about a vital national security issue that directly impacts the safety and security of our troops. We have an uphill climb but the White Houses delays in forming a strategy have only led to added uncertainty instability and risk for the Afghans and for our troops on the ground.
This Congress must support our troops wherever they are stationed no matter where or what the mission is. Success in Afghanistan is not something the United States can achieve alone - there must continue to be a combined international effort that does not focus solely on military action but also enhances the economic and political capacity of the Afghan people.
