Boswell Releases Statement On President Obama's Plan For Afghanistan

Statement

Today, Congressman Leonard Boswell released this statement following the President's address on the war in Afghanistan.

"Tonight, President Obama announced a recommitment to Afghanistan and the global fight on terrorism. The President's plan to immediately deploy up to 30,000 troops serves the dual purpose of stopping the momentum of the Taliban and degrading its capacities, while also training Afghan national security troops to take over the lead security role in Afghanistan."

"I am pleased that the President has made it clear that U.S. involvement in Afghanistan will not be an open-ended nation building exercise. The 18-month timeline is targeted to allow U.S. and NATO forces to expand and better train the Afghan armed forces to deal with insurgents and Al Qaeda and require the Afghan government to meet benchmarks along the way. The President has also promised a larger civilian training component to target corruption and improve governance in the Afghan government."

"I am proud of the troops who have served and continue to serve abroad and at home, and my heart goes out to their loved ones. There are no easy solutions in war, but President Obama's plan provides a clear strategy to transfer control to Afghan forces and to bring our men and women home."

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