Assessing Progress in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq
Earlier this month I led a eight-day congressional delegation visit to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, oversight of the situation in these countries is part of my job, and meeting with the troops fighting the war and talking to leaders in these countries are the best ways to get the clearest picture possible of how things are going on the ground.
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Progress in Afghanistan has been slow, but there are signs of improvement in some regions. For example, we toured Malajat, a village on the outskirts of Kandahar - the spiritual home of the Taliban - where Afghan and U.S. soldiers drove out the Taliban in late August. That we were able to walk down a road in Malajat, escorted by Afghan soldiers, is a demonstration of real security gains in the region - progress that didn't look possible just a few years ago.
With these security gains, I'm guardedly optimistic that we'll be able to begin the scheduled NATO troop-drawdowns in July. Our military has been fighting in Afghanistan for nine years, and this deadline is important to the American people, who deserve to know that our combat role in Afghanistan is not endless. That said, a lot of work remains to be done. Pervasive corruption, cross-border attacks from Pakistan-based insurgents, and a lack of a political solution may be the biggest barriers to stability in Afghanistan.
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In Iraq, we met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Kurdish leaders, and other key political figures. We've seen dramatic security improvement in Iraq in the last few years, but the political situation following the tenuous results of the March election has put those gains at risk. I called on the Iraqi party leaders with whom I met to quickly form an inclusive government because Congress and the American people will be hard-pressed to support Iraq if its political groups can't even form a government.
Please continue to share your thoughts with me on issues related to our military involvement in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. And please keep all our brave service members and their families in your thoughts.
