U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, returned from traveling to Afghanistan as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation that met with U.S. troops, civilian leaders, and high-level officials from both the U.S. and Afghanistan including General David Petraeus and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, to discuss the diplomatic, political and security situation in the region. Larsen left Washington state for Afghanistan on Tuesday, August 24 after meeting with local veterans to discuss work he is doing for veterans and learn about the issues facing soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Larsen joined the congressional delegation, which also traveled to other countries in the region, for the Afghanistan segment of the trip. This was Larsen’s third trip to Afghanistan. “I was impressed by the high morale among American troops and civilian officials. It is clear they feel good about the work they are doing in both security operations and economic development. After nine years, the U.S. is finally redirecting its focus from Iraq to getting our troops and civilians in Afghanistan the resources they need to do their job.
“The civilian surge in Afghanistan is helping to improve governance and economic development in the region. Two years ago there were 400 civilians from the U.S. and other coalition countries, and now there are expected to be 1,200 civilians by the end of 2010, who are collaborating with local communities to identify projects that will help each region of the country grow and stabilize. This civilian surge finally begins to let us satisfy some of the desires of what American people want us to do: let the Afghan people build their own country.
“The U.S. military and civilian officials are working to help Afghanistan take the lead in security operations and economic development. President Karzai and the Afghanistan government must commit to eliminating corruption to prevent any terrorist organization from gaining a foothold again.
“Afghanistan was a safe haven for the terrorists who attacked us. We must work with the population of Afghanistan to make the Taliban an enemy and not a choice.
“As we move forward, it is time for the U.S. and Afghanistan government to put pen to paper to decide what our strategic relationship will look like in the future.
