Citing concerns that lack of U.S. leadership in Afghanistan could create a power vacuum that empowers terrorist groups, several GOP members in the U.S. House of Representatives voiced support for a renewed United States policy in Afghanistan outlined by President Donald Trump on Monday.
Trump pledged to increase U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan where the Taliban now have regained more ground than they held 16 years ago when they lost power to the invading U.S. troops in what has become the longest conflict in America’s history.
Trump provided few details in a televised speech he made to a military audience at Fort Myer in Arlington, Va., about the number of American troops who would be sent to Afghanistan in this renewed commitment, nor how long they would be in the country.
However, the president did say his strategy includes building regional partnerships with Pakistan and India, as well as changing the rules of engagement and making future decisions based on current conditions on the ground rather than on inflexible timelines.
U.S. Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Bruce Poliquin (R-ME) and Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) yesterday rallied behind the president’s new policy for U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and South Asia.
Blackburn said Trump’s vision outlined a strategy that’s been “sorely missing” in the global fight against terrorism and she applauded his “commitment to listening to his military commanders, eradicating terror and ensuring the safety of the American people while understanding American might alone will not achieve these goals.”
Blackburn also said that the president’s measured and balanced approach utilizes the economic, diplomatic and military resources that are critically needed “to get the job done once and for all.”
Wenstrup, vice chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel and a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, trumpeted the president’s remarks that as a country, the nation must always face down evil.
“When that is our common purpose, we succeed,” Wenstrup said. “I support President Trump’s commitment to American strength in Afghanistan, and his focus on the threats that face the United States of America, as well as the victory and accountability of our allies.”
Wenstrup added that a hasty withdrawal of U.S. troops isn’t an option because any number of terrorist groups would be ready and willing to jump in and fill the void.
Poliquin agreed that fully withdrawing U.S. forces in Afghanistan would be a mistake that could undermine America’s years-long efforts and create a breeding ground for hostile actors. “It would also be a mistake to declare arbitrary withdrawal deadlines which could threaten our troops’ safety and those in the community,” he added.
That’s why “operating based on conditions on the ground rather than political promises will lead to a victory for our troops, America and our allies,” Wenstrup said.
Huizenga concurred and noted that conditions on the ground should be the determining factor for how the U.S. military conducts operations, not politicians dealing with artificial political deadlines.
“Additionally, I am encouraged to hear President Trump discuss his plan to strengthen strategic partnerships in the region, while also decisively stating that nations who provide safe harbor for terrorists to launch attacks on our troops, allies, and citizens will no longer be ignored,” said Huizenga.
Defeating terrorism, he said, requires a multi-prong strategy that utilizes U.S. economic strength, skilled diplomacy and provides the military with the resources and flexibility necessary to complete their mission.
In fact, more broadly, Trump’s policy recognizes that while the U.S. can’t serve as the international police, the nation accepts responsibility “as the last remaining superpower to fight terrorism and promote peace,” said Curbelo.
“A world in which America leads is safer and more prosperous for all,” Curbelo said.
Having met with U.S. service members last year who sacrificed time with their families and risked their lives in Afghanistan to fight terrorism and to help stabilize the region, Curbelo said it’s vital that the nation let them know how important their sacrifices have been to the nation’s stability.
“We cannot allow their sacrifices, and those of all who have served in this conflict, to be in vain,” he said.