President Donald Trump’s policy framework for U.S. involvement in Afghanistan released Monday outlines a committed strategy that moves the U.S. in the right direction toward successfully dealing with the ongoing war there, said U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“The unfortunate truth is that this strategy is long overdue, and in the interim, the Taliban have made dangerous inroads. Nevertheless, I believe the President is now moving us well beyond the prior administration’s failed strategy of merely postponing defeat,” McCain said in a statement released Monday.
The Taliban, which lost power some 16 years ago to the American troops who invaded Afghanistan and took it from them, have since regained more ground than they originally held. The complicated ordeal has become the longest-running conflict in America’s history.
“For the last 16 years we have faltered,” McCain said. “Now we must keep up the right level of effort, in the right places, with the right authorities and resources, together with our allies and partners, and see this conflict through to success.”
And that’s not going to be easy, the senator said.
“To do this, the President must conduct himself as a wartime commander-in-chief. He must speak regularly to the American people, and to those waging this war on their behalf, about why we are fighting, why the additional sacrifices are worth it, and how we will succeed,” said McCain, whose committee will hold a hearing on Trump’s plan in September when members of Congress return from their August recess.
Armed Services Committee members Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) also this week applauded Trump’s plan for Afghanistan, with Ernst echoing McCain’s concern about what has resulted from the ongoing situation in the war-torn country.
“Unfortunately, the reality is this: arbitrary timelines, troop levels, and an overall lack of strategy from the previous Administration has created an environment in Afghanistan where 20 of the world’s international terror networks reside, the Taliban is resurging and the region is vulnerable to the malign influence of Iran and Russia,” Ernst said.
“Maintaining the status quo is unacceptable to our national security and unacceptable to our troops and their families,” she said.
Wicker, too, said he recognized “what failure in Afghanistan would mean for America. Terrorists could again use the failed state as a safe haven, putting our national security at risk.”
McCain, a decorated U.S. military veteran, said it’s vitally important that Trump’s strategy provides no timeline for troop withdrawals and bases such future decisions on conditions on the ground.
And he said the president is also correct to frame this new effort as a comprehensive regional strategy.
“Preventing another attack on our homeland and helping our Afghan allies secure the future of their country is not just a matter of troop levels in Afghanistan. It requires the broad application of all the tools of American statecraft throughout the region,” McCain said.
As a senior congressional leader, McCain also noted that Congress must meet its responsibilities for overseeing the war in Afghanistan and provide whatever necessary resources are required. “Congress has a role to play in sending America’s young men and women into harm’s way, and we intend to exercise that responsibility,” he said.
Ernst added that she agrees now is the time to take action.
“Now is not the time to abandon our fight against terrorism in Afghanistan, its people or our international partners. Instead, we must once again lead from a position of strength. Therefore, moving forward, I am committed to both guaranteeing our service members are well-equipped for combat, while also holding the Department of Defense and the administration accountable for ensuring the effectiveness of this strategy,” said Ernst.
Wicker also pointed out that based upon the request of the government of Afghanistan, the U.S. role is to help the people there succeed.
“The people of Afghanistan will ultimately determine their future. Afghan troops will be on the frontlines fighting for this future and peace for their nation. I support the president’s commitment to providing that assistance and his determination to defeat terrorists like the Islamic State, who continue to exploit instability and slaughter innocent lives,” Wicker said.