Ike Skelton, Chairman
For Immediate Release: February 12, 2009
Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO): Hearing on Assessing U.S. Strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan—Balancing Interests and Resources
Washington, DC – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) delivered the following opening statement during today’s hearing on Assessing U.S. Strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan – Balancing Interests and Resources:
“Today the House Armed Services Committee meets to receive testimony on ‘Assessing U.S. Strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan—Balancing Interests and Resources.’ Our witnesses for today’s hearing are Dr. Stephen Biddle of the Council on Foreign Relations; Dr. Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; General Jack Keane, former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army; and Janet St. Laurent from the Government Accountability Office. Welcome all of you. Without objection, your written statements will be entered into the record.
“The new Administration has made it clear that they are renewing the focus on America’s Other War in Afghanistan. This is about time. For too long, our country has not paid sufficient attention to the war in Afghanistan. We are not winning there. Casualties are on the rise and the Taliban is conducting more widespread attacks, including those this week on government buildings in Kabul. A new strategy with clearly articulated and achievable goals is desperately needed, and I am pleased that the Administration is undertaking such a review.
“At the same time, Iraq, which has been our major focus for the last five years, seems to be trending in a positive direction. Violence is down significantly and provincial elections have been conducted. This is a welcome change. But our commanders there tell us we’re not over the hurdles yet and the situation in Iraq remains potentially unstable and dangerous. With the input from those commanders, the President is also considering the future of the U.S. presence in Iraq and how fast we can drawdown our troop presence in Iraq.
“This is the context for the hearing today. The President will, hopefully in the near future, announce new strategies for both Iraq and Afghanistan. We on the House Armed Services Committee, together with some of our other colleagues, will be charged with evaluating these strategies. Today’s hearing is intended to raise those questions and issues that will help us do that job.
“We must remember that neither strategy can be taken in isolation. Troops in Iraq are not available for service in Afghanistan. Enablers, like UAVs or combat engineers, are desperately needed in both theaters, but we don’t have enough to fully resource both, at least in the near future. The Administration and the Congress are going to have to balance our interests and risks in each theater and try to best figure out how to spread these limited resources around. It is my hope that the witnesses here today will suggest questions and raise issues that will help us accomplish that task.
“I now turn to my colleague and good friend, the ranking member of the committee, John McHugh, for any comments he might care to make.”
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