U.S. House of Representatives leaders on Monday lauded President Donald Trump’s new policy strategy for Afghanistan as a multi-faceted plan that would curtail terrorist networks and protect the United States and its allies from potential future attacks.
“Finally, we have a Commander in Chief willing to confront our enemies with the kind of resolve absent over the last eight years,” said Rep. Steve Womack (R-AK), who serves on the House Appropriations Defense, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Labor-Health and Human Services subcommittees and the House Budget Committee.
The new policy strategy that the president outlined in Afghanistan and South Asia calls for increasing the number of U.S. troops, puts an emphasis on regional partnerships with Pakistan and India, and moves away from rigid timelines for troop withdrawals to ensure the strategy remains more responsive to conditions on the ground.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said recent attacks across Europe and the upcoming anniversary of 9/11 serve as reminders that “Islamist terrorists are fully committed to attacking America and our allies.”
It would not be wise to repeat the same mistakes made during the Obama administration when it was decided to prematurely withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, resulting in a power vacuum exploited by ISIS, McCaul said.
“A new military strategy is essential to winning this fight. And, as the president stated, we must continue to pursue diplomatic, economic and other measures with our allies in the region and around the world to deny our enemies valuable resources, while pressuring Pakistan to stop providing safe havens to terrorists,” said McCaul.
Reps. Bill Flores (R-TX), Kay Granger (R-TX) and Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) also voiced support for Trump’s policy in Afghanistan and vowed to support U.S. efforts.
Granger, chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, said she “wholeheartedly supports” the president’s decision to follow Defense Secretary James Mattis’s recommendation to increase troop levels, although Trump did not provide details about how many troops would be deployed there or for how long.
Nevertheless, Granger said that “this modest increase will allow us to provide better support to the Afghan security forces and ensure we continue to have a strong ally in the fight against terrorism.”
Flores also commended Trump’s leadership and focus on moving forward in Afghanistan, where the U.S. has been engaged in its longest conflict in its history dating back roughly 16 years.
Flores said that Trump’s policy strategy is a step in the right direction toward fighting and winning the war on terror. “It is encouraging to see that President Trump’s administration is focused on achieving tangible results as compared to the arbitrary deadlines set by the Obama administration,” he said.
At the same time, Flores promised that Congress will work to support the president and “ensure that our military men and women have the necessary resources to defend and protect America’s national security interests at home and abroad.”
House Majority Leader McCarthy agreed and said, “I will work with my colleagues to ensure our troops have the resources they need to succeed in their mission. This framework for action is the right thing to do for Afghanistan, the United States, and the world.”
Stating that he was “impressed by the candor and commitment” Trump conveyed during his televised address on Monday to a military audience at Fort Myer in Arlington, Va., Womack also pointed out that the president’s renewed policy would spark a fire in the U.S. military.
“His remarks should energize American forces and strike fear into terror networks that wish us harm,” said Womack.