U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich
U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich has sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to keep his promise to begin reducing the number of U.S. soldiers stationed in Afghanistan starting in July.
“We have spent over $450 billion in Afghanistan since the start of this war,” Heinrich, D-N.M. and a candidate for U.S. Senate, wrote in the letter. “Our youngest soldiers now serving in some of the most dangerous places on earth were just eight years old when our nation was attacked on Septembers 11, 2001. It’s time we start bringing our troops home.”
Read the letter here.
Obama has promised to begin bringing some of the 100,000 U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan home this summer, but his administration said today that no decision has been made on how many will start coming home. Some worry that the reduction in U.S. forces won’t begin in July as promised.
Heinrich urged in his letter that the drawdown “not be limited to support forces such as logistics specialists but also include combat troops.”
Concern about Karzai, corruption
Heinrich, who visited Afghanistan last year, said the troop buildup Obama approved in December 2009 has achieved “notable” gains, and said he has “seen firsthand that progress is being made.”
“However, challenges remain that no amount of American blood or treasure will completely solve,” Heinrich wrote. “Indeed, we must be realistic about what is achievable and what is not. I remain deeply concerned about Afghan governance since President Karzai continues to underperform and corruption is widespread.”
That’s the same concern U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., expressed in December 2009 in sharing his skepticism about the troop buildup, and last April after visiting Afghanistan.
In December 2009, Heinrich supported the buildup, saying this:
“Tonight, President Obama articulated both the necessary resources and a clear strategy to accomplish our goals in Afghanistan and the region. This is a critical step forward, and frankly, it should have taken place years ago.
“We must continue to reach out to the international community for an increased commitment to defeat al Qaeda and stabilize the region. The Afghan government must also step up its own work and assume greater responsibility for securing its people.
“With an established mission and defined goals, I am reassured that our brave men and women in uniform will succeed.”
‘We should follow through on the pledge we made’
In today’s letter, Heinrich wrote to Obama that the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan “will be a complex process, and during that time I will continue to support our nation’s efforts to ensure South Asia does not become a safe haven for violent extremism.”
“But I believe we should follow through on the pledge we made to the American people to begin the drawdown of U.S. forces from Afghanistan this summer,” Heinrich wrote.