This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, July 6, 2011 - I oppose President Obama's plan for Afghanistan - it simply does not bring our troops home fast enough. The president recently gave a national address in which he outlined this plan, under which 10,000 U.S. troops would be pulled out of Afghanistan by the end of this year, with more than 20,000 additional forces returning home by the summer of 2012.
As I have said before, we should bring our troops serving in Afghanistan home as quickly as possible. While we need to maintain the ability to disrupt terrorist networks in the region, that is chiefly an intelligence and law enforcement effort. It does not require 100,000 troops on the ground, and removing 10,000 by the end of this year is not sufficient progress.
After 10 years of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, it should be clear to anyone following the situation that we do not have the ability to remake Afghan society, and we certainly cannot afford the $10 billion a month that we are spending there now. A strong economy at home is a critical part of our national security, and as we seek to find solutions to our fiscal challenges, we need these resources to create American jobs by improving our roads, bridges, airports and levees, as well as paying down our national debt.
I will continue to urge President Obama to bring our troops home from Afghanistan, and I ask you to continue to keep our soldiers and their families in your daily thoughts and prayers.
Jerry F. Costello, a Democrat, represents Illinois' 12 congressional district.