Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) spoke at a press conference this morning recognizing the 10^th anniversary of the start of the war in Afghanistan: 

[as prepared for delivery]

“Good morning.  This anniversary – 10 tragic, horrendous years at war with Afghanistan – is cause not for celebration but for sober and solemn reflection.

“On this occasion let’s remember the 1,800 brave servicemembers who’ve given their lives in Afghanistan over the last decade.  Their service and sacrifice couldn’t be more honorable; the mission they were sent on, however, was a moral disgrace.

“Let’s also acknowledge the thousands of Afghan civilians caught in the line of fire and killed for the cause of their so-called liberation.  They are casualties of this war and must not be forgotten either.

“We have paid too high a price in blood and treasure over the last 10 years….too high a price for a policy that has not advanced our national security interests. 

“This war would be a ripoff at any cost, but when I think about the fact that it’s costing us $10 billion every month, it takes my breath away. 

“$10 billion a month!  Think of what we could do with $10 billion a month.  We could use it to help create the jobs the American people need.  $10 billion a month could pay for a lot of Pell Grants, a lot of Head Start slots, a lot of Medicare reimbursements, a lot of school lunches.

“For pennies on the dollar, we can and we must invest in an entirely new approach to protecting America, one that emphasizes diplomacy, multilateral cooperation and peaceful conflict resolution. 

“I call this platform Smart Security, and I’ve been promoting it just about every day for the last several years.  Instead of invasions and occupations, Smart Security offers other nations partnership and humanitarian aid. 

“Instead of a military surge, it promises a much bolder civilian surge that shows American compassion…that embodies the very best American values…that fights poverty, promotes education, rebuilds infrastructure and restores hope.

“The American people have had enough of this war.  A new poll even shows that only half of post 9/11 veterans think the Afghanistan war was worth fighting.  Isn’t it time we listened to them?  Isn’t it time public policy caught up with public sentiment on this life-and-death issue?

“Moral decency, fiscal sanity and public opinion all tell us to do the same thing – after 10 long years, it’s time to bring the troops home.”