Given the escalating violence in Afghanistan and your interest in national security issues, I wanted to let you know that I am urging President Obama to act promptly and to implement the strategy recommended by General Stanley McChrystal to turn around the instability in the country. Earlier this year President Obama outlined a counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan and selected new leadership with the appointment of General McChrystal. I strongly supported these decisions and was hopeful that the President would take bold and decisive steps to counter increased violence and instability generated by a resurgent Taliban and other extremists. In a speech in August, President Obama again made it clear that our mission in Afghanistan is a ‘war of necessity’ and that we would not back down. Unfortunately, just two months later, the President is considering the possibility of abandoning the counter-insurgency strategy before it has been fully implemented. General McChrystal has offered his straightforward assessment of the situation in Afghanistan. He stated that without a substantial increase in troops and supplies, we risk ‘mission failure.’ No President makes the decision to send more troops into combat without great heaviness. But the President’s indecisiveness will only make it more difficult for General McChrystal to wage war to our fullest capability in Afghanistan, a mission which the President correctly points out is essential to our national security and critical to preventing al Qaeda from retrieving the safe haven they enjoyed before 9/11. I urge the President to maintain his support for a counter-insurgency strategy and promptly implement the General’s recommendation for the sake of our brave men and women in uniform and for our citizens here at home.

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