Barbara Lee on the President's Afghanistan Announcement: Plan Falls Far Short of the Significant and Sizeable Reduction That Our War-Weary Nation Expected
Media Contact: Joel Payne, (202) 225-2661
Lee Calls for Swifter, Steeper Reduction in Troop Levels; Reaffirms Commitment to End Funding for Combat Operations in Afghanistan
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) released the following statement this evening in response to the President’s announcement regarding U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan:
“I was disappointed in the President’s announcement this evening that only 10,000 troops will be removed from Afghanistan by the end of this year and only 33,000 troops will be removed by September of 2012. Almost three out of four Americans want to bring our troops home from Afghanistan, and this is far from the sizeable and significant reduction that the American people were expecting.
“A troop reduction of 10,000 by the end of this year is anything but significant, as it does not even get us back to pre-escalation levels. A more significant and reasonable goal would have been the swift withdrawal of 50,000 combat troops, half of the roughly 100,000 U.S. troops currently on the ground. Waiting until the fall of 2012 to remove only 33,000 troops, which simply reverses the 2009 troop escalation and takes us back to square one, flies in the face of the growing bipartisan calls across our war-weary nation to exit Afghanistan and refocus on our domestic challenges and job creation.
“The American people are sick and tired of this war, the longest war in U.S. history, and there is no military solution in Afghanistan. In addition, it distracts us from addressing the serious economic challenges that our nation faces at home. As we spend over $2 billion a week on this decade-long war, critical programs like WIC, food stamps and Medicare are on the chopping block.
“This modest reduction of U.S. forces in Afghanistan is unacceptable and does not reflect the will of the people. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will work with members on both sides of the aisle to pass my amendment to end funding for combat operations in Afghanistan and to begin the safe and orderly withdrawal of our courageous troops. It is past time that we bring this war to an end. Enough is enough!”
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