BIDEN Heads to Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Turkey

Press Release

BIDEN Heads to Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Turkey

Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee to Observe Pakistan Elections; Meet with Leaders in Afghanistan, India and Turkey

Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) is heading to Pakistan this weekend to observe the February 18th parliamentary elections and meet with top Pakistani government and opposition leaders. He will be joined by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE). The Senate delegation trip will also visit Afghanistan, India and Turkey.

"Afghanistan's fate is linked to Pakistan's future - and so is our security. If there's a central front in the war on terrorism, it lies between those countries," said Senator Joe Biden. "That's where the attack came from on 9-11. That's where our enemies are regrouping. That's where our focus must be. If Afghanistan fails or Pakistan falls prey to fundamentalism, it will be a setback of historic proportions."

Pakistan

"In Pakistan, I want to see for myself whether the elections are fair and put the country on the road back to democracy. The moderate majority must have a voice in the system. If not, there's a real danger they will make common cause with extremists. We've been down that road before in Iran," said Sen. Biden. "I've been arguing for some time that we need to move from a policy based on personalities - Musharraf - to one based on the entire country and its people - Pakistan. We need a new approach to Pakistan, including a significant increase in non-military assistance coupled with real transparency and accountability in the military aid we continue to provide.

Afghanistan

"There is a deep and growing concern in Congress that Afghanistan is failing. The Taliban is back, violence is up, drug production is at an all time high and the Afghan people are losing faith that their government - and by extension us - can deliver a better future for them," said Sen. Biden. "All three legs of our strategy - security, reconstruction, counter-narcotics - are wobbly and the whole thing risks collapse. So on this trip, I want to look hard at what needs to be done to produce a real strategy for success."

India and Turkey

"We'll also be visiting India and Turkey, two critically important friends, to discuss, among many other things, a peaceful nuclear cooperation deal in Delhi and the situation in Iraq with our allies in Ankara," added Sen. Biden.

Source