12.01.09 | Scott Statement on President Obama’s Afghanistan Strategy
December 1, 2009
Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-03) issued the following statement on President Obama's announcement of his strategy for the War in Afghanistan:
"I voted in favor of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists resolution to go after Al Qaeda - the perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our nation. The previous Administration got dangerously off track and diverted our attention and resources into Iraq despite the fact that it had no weapons of mass destruction, no connection to 9/11 and posed no imminent threat to the United
States. Still, we managed to virtually eliminate Al Qaeda's presence in Afghanistan insofar that published reports indicate there are fewer than 100 Al Qaeda operatives left in Afghanistan, and the vast majority of Al Qaeda's remaining operatives in the region are now in Pakistan.
"After exhaustive consideration, President Obama articulated his view that the status quo is not sustainable. His belief is that in order to preserve our national security, we need to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.
"Members of Congress owe it to the American people to give President Obama's plan comparable time and consideration before deciding whether a stable Afghanistan is a reasonably achievable objective and whether or not an escalation of our troop levels is necessary to accomplish that goal."
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