Plans begin for complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) warned on Tuesday that the United State’s influence abroad is waning following an announcement that planning would begin for a full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

The Obama administration’s lack of a cohesive foreign policy to pursue U.S. interests abroad has led to an erosion of international influence, Kinzinger, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said.

“We simply cannot afford to waver in Afghanistan,” Kinzinger said. “President Karzai may be a difficult partner, but we owe it to the Americans who gave their lives for our cause to seek the best resolution available. A full withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan would erase our hard-won progress and open the door to chaos and violence. We have seen in Iraq the results of a precipitous troop drawdown, and it would be irresponsible to ignore that lesson in Afghanistan, no matter what diplomatic obstacles we face.”

President Obama ordered the Pentagon on Tuesday to prepare for the complete pullout of American troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

The administration indicated that it prefers to retain a residual military presence in Afghanistan; however, Karzai has rebuffed a bilateral security agreement that would allow that to happen.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said numerous options to drawdown the 37,000 troops in Afghanistan would be prepared in the coming months. Hagel said it was “prudent” to ensure that plans are in place for a complete withdrawal by the end of the year.