Lucas Reacts to President Obama’s Afghanistan Strategy Announcement

Washington, DC – After months of speculation and closed-door meetings, President Obama announced he would send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.  This comes after a request by General McChrystal in September to add an additional 40,000 troops to the region.  According to McChrystal, “failure to gain he initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near term (12 months)…risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible.”  Below is Congressman Lucas’ reaction to the president’s speech.

“After almost three months of waiting, I was pleased to hear that President Obama has finally made a decision on the recommendation of General McChrystal to send additional troops to Afghanistan.  And while his decision to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan does not fully reflect General McChrystal’s request for 40,000 troops, it does show a willingness to listen to the recommendations of his commanders in the field.

“I agree with General McChrystal when he said, ‘while the situation is serious, success is still achievable.’  We must not allow the Taliban, al Qaeda, or any other terrorist organization to continue to use this region as a safe haven.  The disruption of terrorist activities is essential to ensuring stability in the region, global security, and the safety of every American.”

This new deployment, along with the 22,000 additional troops President Obama authorized earlier this year will bring the total U.S. forces in Afghanistan to more than 100,000.

# # #