As Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, it is my responsibility to ensure that our Committee is doing all it can to provide America’s intelligence professionals stationed around the world with the resources they need to effectively carryout their missions.  Last week, I led a Congressional Delegation to Pakistan and Afghanistan to assess intelligence and security needs in the region.  I was accompanied on this fact-finding mission by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA), a member of the Intelligence Committee and Congressman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

The stability of this region is vital to global and U.S. security, and our Intelligence Community provides critical intelligence to American and allied troops on the ground.  Over the last several years, we have taken our eye off the ball on the situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and as such, we must work to ensure that our men and women can execute their missions in as safe an environment as possible.  The situation in this region has shown signs of deterioration or reversal, and the supply mechanisms for our forces could be jeopardized. 
 
President Obama recently announced an increase in the number of troops to Afghanistan to help train the Afghan National Security Forces so that they can take more responsibility for the security of the Afghan people.  Any substantial increase in forces brings with it a requirement for additional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities that will provide adequate force protection measures as well as complete operational situational awareness. 

This trip allowed us to see and hear first hand what is being done to support the troop increase, to ensure we can provide sufficient stability in the region for the people of Afghanistan as they head into elections and continue the path toward a safe and prosperous future.

The men and women of the Intelligence Community whom we visited in both countries are, as expected, outstanding.  We had the opportunity to sit down with them in many different settings from the Embassy to the field, and came away confident that their mission dedication and devotion to duty is as high as ever.  This does not mean they do not have substantial challenges, and we need to continue our work in Congress to ensure they have the tools and resources in place to successfully accomplish their mission.  In the coming months, my Committee will closely examine the support and mission resources we are providing to our committed brave men and women working hard in this region. 

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