It's hard to believe that U.S. forces have been fighting in Afghanistan for almost ten years now.
During my campaign for the Senate, I told you that I would work aggressively to ensure that America's national security strategy was one worthy of the sacrifice of our troops and the investment of our taxpayers.
After six months of hearings, a trip to the region, and countless meetings with military and civilian leaders, I am no longer convinced that our current counterinsurgency strategy will result in a stable Afghanistan or a safer America.
In the next few weeks, when the president announces how many troops will be coming home this summer, it is not only my hope that the number of troops withdrawn is substantial, but that it marks the beginning of a new counterterrorism strategy in the region.
Please join me in urging the president to refocus America's mission in Afghanistan.
There are dangerous threats in the world, and the fewer-than-100 al Qaeda operatives still remaining in Afghanistan are among them. But with rapidly emerging and complex threats in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Iran, we must ensure that our engagement in Afghanistan is not undermining our ability to respond and protect our national security.
Coupled with our difficult economy, spiraling deficit, and the other critical domestic priorities competing for federal investment, it is no longer sustainable to continue to invest $10 billion a month and 100,000 brave U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
We need a new strategy -- a strategy that harnesses our powerful intelligence and Special Forces capabilities and relies on smaller, rapidly deployable units to execute operations designed to eradicate specific threats.
Too many flights into Dover Air Force Base have borne our fallen soldiers on their final mission: coming home. We owe it to them to ensure our strategy moving forward is one that honors their memory and their sacrifice.
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