The U.S. Capitol building (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
The Democratic members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation appeared anxious on Wednesday evening for the end of the war in Afghanistan, with some saying the president’s announcement that he would bring 33,000 U.S. soldiers home by next summer isn’t enough.
“I believe that we need to take more significant steps than the president announced tonight in order to wind down this war and send a clear signal to the people of Afghanistan that the future of their country rests in their own hands,” U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján said following the president’s speech.
He was joined by U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich in expressing a desire for a quicker withdrawal than Obama proposed.
“While I’m encouraged that President Obama is keeping his word to bring our troops home, I believe the time is right for a more accelerated drawdown,” Heinrich said. “We must have a fundamental change in mission in Afghanistan focused on counterterrorism, just like what we saw work with the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden.”
Wednesday evening, Obama announced plans to bring 10,000 soldiers home by the end of this year and 23,000 by the summer of 2012. But, as The Associated Press reported:
“…almost 70,000 U.S. troops will remain in an unstable country, fighting in a war bound to see more Americans killed. Obama said they will leave at a steady pace, but the U.S. combat mission is not expected to end until December 2014 — and even then, a sizable and enduring contingent may remain in a different role.”
Ending U.S. combat in Afghanistan in December 2014 isn’t good enough for U.S. Sen. Tom Udall.
“While the president is making good on a promise to begin the transition of combat troops, I would urge him to institute a 12-to-18 month flexible timeline for the Afghans to take control of their own security,” Udall said.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., on the other hand, called the initial drawdown “a good start” and said he’s glad that “the pace will accelerate next year.” He added that the planned handover of security to Afghan forces in 2014 “would have been impossible when President Obama took office in 2009, and it is evidence that progress that has been made.”
Staffers for the only Republican member of the delegation, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, didn’t respond to a request for comment.
State Auditor Hector Balderas, who is running for Bingaman’s seat next year, was the only non-incumbent candidate for federal office to send out a statement other than Heinrich, who is also running for Bingaman’s seat.
“While this reduction is a positive step, we must remember that close to 70,000 troops will remain in harm’s way in Afghanistan, and our commitment to supporting them and our mission must not waver,” Balderas said. “The sooner all of our troops are out of Afghanistan the better. But it cannot be done at the expense of our country’s safety. As President Obama made clear tonight, we still have a tough road ahead.”