WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Bill Delahunt announced today that he would oppose further funding for military operations in Afghanistan.

Delahunt, who serves as the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, said the following:

I believe that the time has come for a new approach in Afghanistan.  Rather than the massive military and nation-building endeavor currently underway -- that continues to produce dubious results, according to the latest report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction -- the United States and its allies should focus our energy on combating al Qaeda and its ideology.  Most importantly, emphasis should be placed on refuting al Qaeda’s twisted perversion of Islam through public diplomacy, development, and other changes in policy that encourage ordinary Muslims to reject the fanatics who are trying to hijack their religion.

Until there is such a shift in strategy, I cannot support any further funding for the war in Afghanistan.

I have not come to this decision easily.  For years, I supported the effort in Afghanistan.  It was one of my reasons for opposing the Iraq war.  That conflict undeniably distracted from Afghanistan, as I predicted at the time.  The previous Administration took its eye off the ball, prioritizing its obsession with Saddam Hussein over the pursuit of al Qaeda.  The invasion of Iraq actually strengthened al Qaeda by convincing many in the Muslim world that the U.S. is – as Osama bin Laden falsely claims – at war with Islam.  That further undermined our efforts to defend America and bring to justice those who actually attacked us on 9/11.

Furthermore, there is the painful reality that our economy is still in serious trouble, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq come at an enormous cost to the American taxpayer – close to $1 trillion, according to some estimates.  And of course, we have already lost over 1,000 Americans in the war in Afghanistan.  Thousands more have been injured, many so badly that they will require care for the rest of their lives.  There will never be an appropriate price tag for the suffering they and their families have had to go through.  But if we are to be serious about fiscal discipline, we must reconsider the costs of this war and whether this is the best way to use our military in the defense of our nation.

I want to be clear: I am not proposing that the United States abandon the Afghan people.  We have a moral obligation to help them.  I am particularly concerned about the fate of women in Afghanistan, and believe that we cannot allow them to suffer as they did underneath the Taliban.  But the fact of the matter is that our current policy is not succeeding in bettering their lives.

Likewise, I am not naïve about the dire threat to the United States posed by al Qaeda.  Unlike Saddam Hussein, al Qaeda really are out to kill us, and simply withdrawing from Afghanistan will not appease their hatred.  Osama bin Laden and his cohorts must be brought to justice – or destroyed.  But we have to be smarter in how we combat them.  Our highest priority must be convincing the Muslim world that al Qaeda is a cancer that Muslims themselves need to eradicate.  We should redouble our efforts to that end.

As I said, I have not come to this decision lightly.  I continue to support President Obama’s overall foreign policy approach, because I am convinced that he is succeeding in changing global perceptions of America in ways that will ultimately make our country safer and more prosperous.  But I no longer believe that his current strategy in Afghanistan will be successful.  President Obama must use the opportunity presented by the change of commanders in Afghanistan – a move that I support wholeheartedly – to adjust course.  Until that happens, I will oppose further funding for the war in Afghanistan.