Joint Subcommittee Hearing: After the Withdrawal: The Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Part III)

Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa | 2167 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 | Dec 10, 2014 2:00pm to 5:00pm

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “The next few months are pivotal for the future of Afghanistan's stability. The United States cannot afford to make the same mistakes we did in Iraq by not leaving behind a sufficient U.S. presence to maintain the gains we've achieved over the past few years. As we're seeing with the rise of ISIL in Iraq, our hasty withdrawal created a power vacuum that allowed the terror group to grow. The stakes are even higher in Afghanistan with the Taliban eager to reclaim lost territory and establish another safe haven for terrorists to thrive. Many challenges still remain, especially since Pakistan continues to host terrorist groups and remains complicit in their ability to operate. The Obama administration must have an honest conversation about its relationship with Pakistan and make the hard choices necessary to ensure Pakistan's activities aren't working against US interests.”

Chairman Chabot on the hearing: “Afghanistan has seen many changes this year—both promising and troubling.  While we now have a better sense of what the post-2014 U.S. presence will look like, many challenges remain, including political and economic instability, and an extensive Taliban threat. This is further exacerbated by its neighbor, Pakistan, which continues to play host to Islamist extremism and militancy groups who are given support inside Pakistan’s borders.  Pakistan’s role in combating these groups and stabilizing Afghanistan, however, is incredibly important, but due to its limited capacity, rampant corruption, and divergent interests, there is serious cause for concern. This hearing is a critical opportunity to evaluate ongoing challenges confronting the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, and how the Administration will address these concerns as we look toward a new post-2014 environment.”

WITNESSES:

The Honorable Jarret Blanc
Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
U.S. Department of State

The Honorable Donald L. Sampler
Assistant to the Administrator
Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs
U.S. Agency for International Development

Mr. James Soiles
Deputy Chief of Operations
Office of Global Enforcement
Drug Enforcement Administration
U.S. Department of Justice
 

***Any changes to witness list will be reflected above.