Last night President Barack Obama addressed the American people announcing an agreement reached with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on future support for Afghanistan after our combat troop withdrawal scheduled for 2014.
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to the partnership agreement today signed by President Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai to mark the beginning of the end of the war in Afghanistan.
“There was a time when the American people felt America’s presence in Afghanistan was vital to our national security. However, I believe the tides have changed. After spending more than $443 billion and after the deaths of more than 1,831 American sons and daughters, the American people feel it is past time to withdrawal from Afghanistan. I agree with the President that the threat of terrorism and the continuing movement of al Qaeda and the Taliban remain a threat – however, this threat is not a burden the United States must carry alone, it is one for the international community. Our military has done its job and it is time to bring them home. And now it is our job to strengthen our counter-terrorism effort with our allies, utilize our intelligence capabilities and ensure countries like Pakistan keep their end of the bargain. I look forward to working with the President to ensure our troops have the resources they need to responsibly and successfully wind down operations.”