Post by concerned on Oct 20, 2009 13:26:18 GMT -5
I thought I would share this with everyone.
October 20, 2009
Thank you for contacting me regarding Afghanistan. I appreciate that you took the time to share your thoughts with me.
Like you, I am very concerned about the situation in Afghanistan. During my two trips there, I saw firsthand how the country is struggling to rebuild itself. While our nation faces many difficult challenges at home and abroad, we must not forget the reason we are in Afghanistan. The security of our country depends on our success in denying Al Qaeda the opportunity to plot future attacks on the U.S. and our allies.
As you know, President Obama recently announced a comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan, which involves redeploying troops and resources from Iraq in order to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I support this because for far too long, the line between the War on Terror and the War in Iraq has been blurred. It is now time to refocus our attention on stopping terrorism and stabilizing Afghanistan.
You may be pleased to learn that I supported measures in H.R. 2346, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009, to ensure that the President's plan for Afghanistan is working. This legislation requires the President to submit, by February of 2010, an assessment of the Afghan government's performance in five key areas: 1) the level of political consensus, 2) the level of government corruption, 3) the performance of security forces with respect to counterinsurgency operations, 4) the performance of intelligence operations in cooperating with the US, and 5) the ability of the government to fully control the territory within their borders. This report will confirm whether the Afghan government has the necessary commitment, capability, conduct, and unity of purpose to warrant the continuation of current policy in Afghanistan.
Throughout my work in Congress, I have never once forgotten that this nation owes its strong history -and its promising future - in large part to the work of our brave servicemen and women. H.R. 2346 provides 185,000 servicemembers with $500 stipends for every month their enlistments were involuntarily extended under stop-loss orders. The bill also funds construction of 9 wounded warrior support complexes and 25 childcare centers, and includes an additional $1.8 billion for programs that support the health and wellbeing of the military and their family members.
The Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009 passed the House of Representatives with my support and was signed into law by the President on June 24. Congress continues to face the important task of securing our country by ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan. Please be assured that I am closely monitoring the situation and will keep your thoughts in mind as new developments arise. I hope to visit Afghanistan again in the near future to get a firsthand account of how things have improved or diminished.
Thank you again for contacting me. To receive updates on my work in New York and Washington, visit www.arcuri.house.gov to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter. Please do not hesitate to let me know if I can be of assistance with this or any other matter.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Arcuri
Member of Congress
I wanted some clarifications on an issue that I was concerned with which was a time-line.
October 20, 2009
Thank you for contacting me regarding Afghanistan. I appreciate that you took the time to share your thoughts with me.
Like you, I am very concerned about the situation in Afghanistan. During my two trips there, I saw firsthand how the country is struggling to rebuild itself. While our nation faces many difficult challenges at home and abroad, we must not forget the reason we are in Afghanistan. The security of our country depends on our success in denying Al Qaeda the opportunity to plot future attacks on the U.S. and our allies.
As you know, President Obama recently announced a comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan, which involves redeploying troops and resources from Iraq in order to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I support this because for far too long, the line between the War on Terror and the War in Iraq has been blurred. It is now time to refocus our attention on stopping terrorism and stabilizing Afghanistan.
You may be pleased to learn that I supported measures in H.R. 2346, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009, to ensure that the President's plan for Afghanistan is working. This legislation requires the President to submit, by February of 2010, an assessment of the Afghan government's performance in five key areas: 1) the level of political consensus, 2) the level of government corruption, 3) the performance of security forces with respect to counterinsurgency operations, 4) the performance of intelligence operations in cooperating with the US, and 5) the ability of the government to fully control the territory within their borders. This report will confirm whether the Afghan government has the necessary commitment, capability, conduct, and unity of purpose to warrant the continuation of current policy in Afghanistan.
Throughout my work in Congress, I have never once forgotten that this nation owes its strong history -and its promising future - in large part to the work of our brave servicemen and women. H.R. 2346 provides 185,000 servicemembers with $500 stipends for every month their enlistments were involuntarily extended under stop-loss orders. The bill also funds construction of 9 wounded warrior support complexes and 25 childcare centers, and includes an additional $1.8 billion for programs that support the health and wellbeing of the military and their family members.
The Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009 passed the House of Representatives with my support and was signed into law by the President on June 24. Congress continues to face the important task of securing our country by ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan. Please be assured that I am closely monitoring the situation and will keep your thoughts in mind as new developments arise. I hope to visit Afghanistan again in the near future to get a firsthand account of how things have improved or diminished.
Thank you again for contacting me. To receive updates on my work in New York and Washington, visit www.arcuri.house.gov to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter. Please do not hesitate to let me know if I can be of assistance with this or any other matter.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Arcuri
Member of Congress
I wanted some clarifications on an issue that I was concerned with which was a time-line.
