Feingold Statement at a Hearing on 'Afghanistan: Governance and the Civilian Strategy'

Statement

"I'd like to welcome Ambassador Holbrooke here and thank Chairman Kerry for calling this hearing today, which reminds us that our engagement with Afghanistan can and must extend beyond military operations. I'd also like to add, given the questions raised about whether further changes are needed to our leadership team in Afghanistan, that my colleagues should think carefully before calling for the replacement of those whose assessments on the ground have provided candid insights, including the assessment of our ambassador in Kabul that adding troops will only increase instability. The time has come, in my view, for the president to set a flexible timetable for responsibly drawing down our troops so that we can focus on pursuing a sustainable, global strategy to combat al Qaeda."

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