Highlights of Secretary Clinton's Testimony on Afghanistan-Pakistan Before House Foreign Affairs Committee & Subcommittee on Foreign Ops

Apr 24, 2009

Highlights of April 22-23, 2009 House Foreign Affairs and Appropriations Subcommittee Hearings on Afghanistan and Pakistan

On Afghanistan and Pakistan, Secretary Clinton on the whole received more support than skepticism and questions from the two committees. Foreign Affairs Chair Berman commended the administration's strategy, especially its conclusion that "strengthening the civilian democratic government of Pakistan should be a central part of our overall efforts." Ranking member Ros-Lehtinen declared that "We all share the goal of ensuring that sanctuaries and safe havens no longer exist for those who wish to do us harm." Rep. John Tanner said that he believed "that we have to show some progress in Afghanistan-Pakistan, this year, to maintain that critical mass of public support" among European allies.

The most critical reception came from Rep. Ron Paul who said that although he was pleased to see "a willingness to talk and try to work things out" on the part of this administration he didn't see any other differences between the Bush and Obama policies. He asked the Secretary if she could give him "some signs or indication or some encouragement that maybe we shifted policies in the slightest manner. Have we brought any troops home? Are we less involved in Iraq? Will that war ever end, or are we really going in the opposite direction because we're seeing Pakistan as so necessary we need more troops, more expansion, more money, more DOD funds?"

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (CA) referred to a letter that she and ten colleagues had sent to the president earlier asking for more information about the administration's Afghanistan policy. "We want to know about clear authorization for the use of military force," she said. "Has it been established? Is he going to come to the Congress? How did he define the goals, objectives and benefits of the United States' involvement in Afghanistan? What are the human and financial resources necessary to carry out the administration's plan? What is the timeline for redeployment of our troops and military contractors? How about NATO and the U.N.? What is their role, and other international partners'? And how will the immediate humanitarian and economic needs of the Afghan people be addressed?" Secretary Clinton offered no specific answers to Woolsey's questions but said that the administration's policy had been adopted after a thorough review.

David Obey (WI), who as House Appropriations Committee chair also sits on the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, questioned whether the U.S. had the means to stabilize Afghanistan and Pakistan. Citing analysts' predictions that the effort could take nearly a decade, he said "I don't want to see all of the other goals of the administration, both foreign and domestic, in the end devoured by this insoluble problem."