U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney wants the White House to reconsider changing the role of combat troops in Afghanistan after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta declared the U.S. focus would shift to a noncombat role by next year.
I respectfully urge our commander in chief to reconsider this premature announcement and base any changes in our Afghanistan strategy on the situation on the ground, stated Rooney, R-Tequesta, a member of the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees, in a release on Thursday.
While our troops have made progress in stabilizing areas of Afghanistan, the Obama administration has not presented any assessment that suggests our military commanders believe the Afghan security forces are prepared to maintain that stability.
As he meets in Brussels with NATO defense ministers, Panetta is calling for a strategy that includes security transitioning to Afghan forces in 2014 and then consolidating the Afghan lead for security responsibility, according to the American Forces Press Service.
As the strategy outlines, Panetta said, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan will shift during the final phase of transition to Afghan lead in mid-to-late 2013 from a primarily combat mission to a training and advisory role as Afghan forces take responsibility for security there, the American Forces Press Service reported.
The transition was previously agreed on at the alliance's November 2010 summit in Lisbon, Portugal.
In Brussels, ministers are also expected to discuss funding for Afghanistan's army and police forces, with Panetta seeking 1 billion euros and to expand the current funding pool to include Arab countries, Japan and South Korea, American Forces Press Service reported.
Rooney expressed concerns that the U.S. needs to first ensure thatAfghans are able to handle the transition.
We saw in Iraq in 2006, when the country nearly degenerated into civil war, what happens when we move our troops before local security forces are prepared to take over, Rooney stated in the release. Before publicly telegraphing a withdrawal date, we need clear evidence that the Afghan security forces are prepared for this transition -- they arent now, and theres no crystal ball to ensure us they will be a year from now.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
