Terrorism
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Human Rights | Engaging
Americans | Speeches
Series
Issues Foreign
Policy
As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since 1993, I have consistently worked to ensure that U.S. foreign policy enhances our national security by promoting stability, prosperity and basic human rights around the world.
I opposed the decision to go to war in Iraq, which was one of the worst strategic blunders in our country's history. While I am very pleased that President Obama has laid out a plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011, this redeployment schedule is too long and does not do enough to relieve the strain on our troops. I will continue to monitor the situation in Iraq very closely. Please view a timeline of my actions on the war in Iraq.
The war in Iraq distracted us from our top national security priority: fighting al Qaeda and its affiliates. It also undermined our efforts in Afghanistan by taking away resources and attention that were badly needed. I supported the decision to go to war in Afghanistan after the September 11th attacks, but I also recognize that a successful response to the global terrorist threat we face requires a multi-faceted approach, not one that only relies on our military. While President Obama appreciates the global threat posed by al Qaeda and the importance of addressing its current safe haven in Pakistan, I am concerned that sending more troops to Afghanistan at this point may not help, and could even undermine, our efforts to address that threat.
After eight years of war in Afghanistan, we need to acknowledge the serious risks of continuing our massive, open-ended military commitment in that country, and pursue a comprehensive, sustainable strategy to combat al Qaeda's global network. That is why we need to start discussing a flexible timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Such a timetable would bolster our national security by undercutting the misperception of the U.S. as an occupying force in the region, while at the same time removing a tremendous strain on our troops and our economy. Please view a timeline of my actions on the Afghanistan and Pakistan region.
Finally, as the Chairman and a long-time member of the Subcommittee on African Affairs, I have led a number of congressional efforts to recognize sub-Saharan Africa's vast potential and to seriously address the region's conflicts, public health crises, and governance problems.
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