A.G. Gancarski
In a statement on Thursday, Representative Corrine Brown said that she stood by President Barack Obama when it comes to the continued American military presence in Afghanistan.
“I strongly support our brave troops and the mission they were sent to achieve in Afghanistan. Given that the Taliban have now spread throughout the majority of the country, particularly in light of their recent seizure of Kunduz and holding it for over two weeks before pulling back, it seems clear that Afghan forces are not yet fully ready and equipped to defend their nation,” Brown said on Thursday.
“As President Obama clearly stated, ‘in key areas of the country, the security situation is fragile, and in some areas, there is risk of deterioration.’ In addition, we certainly do not want to see a repeat of what occurred in Iraq, where a full troop withdrawal was followed by a surge in violence from the Islamic State,” Brown continued.
“Preventing Al Qaeda from returning to Afghanistan and thwarting the Taliban or any of the various rogue groups of insurgents, including ISIS, from toppling the Afghan government is indispensable to our national security, and will serve as a tremendous step forward in the war on terror,” Brown concluded.
Troop levels would remain just under 10,000 for the balance of Obama’s term, before a projected reduction to 5,500 in 2017.
