Michaud Statement On President's Afghanistan Plan

Press Release

Today, Congressman Mike Michaud issued the following statement after the President's address to the nation on Afghanistan policy:

I unequivocally support the President's declared goals of defeating al Qaeda and reducing the threat of global terrorism. I commend the President's emphasis on benchmarks for success, a timeline for withdrawal and a major focus on training and developing the Afghan military and police forces.

I have overwhelming confidence in the ability and dedication of the U.S. military to undertake this mission. However, I continue to have questions about the effectiveness of committing our troops to a prolonged conflict that could last for several years, involve tens of thousands of troops, and impose huge financial costs on American taxpayers.

I will reserve final judgment on the plan outlined by the President tonight as Congress receives additional details and moves forward with its oversight responsibilities. Now that the President has laid out his plan, there are several critical questions that remain to be answered, such as the extent of our Allies' support, the details of how we will pay for this new plan and the effectiveness of efforts to battle corruption in Afghanistan.

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