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Mike on Iraq and Afghanistan

I opposed the invasion of Iraq. In October of 2002, I voted against granting President Bush the authority to use force in Iraq and I have consistently spoken out against his conduct of the war. Weapons of mass destruction were not found, violence continues and our troops remain in the middle of it all. It is time for them to come home. A year earlier, in the aftermath of 9/11, I supported the use of force in Afghanistan. The Taliban regime sheltered and supported al Qaeda terrorists who attacked our country and made plain its determination to continue protecting these terrorists. I wish we had committed sufficient troops and resources to complete our mission in Afghanistan, kill or capture Osama bin Laden, and follow through with the country's reconstruction.

We now have a new Commander-in-Chief and I hope and expect that a thoughtful withdrawal from Iraq is not too far away. I understand that some troops are likely to remain for a while as Iraqis continue to rebuild and the new government becomes more established. However, a significant reduction in force is long overdue.

In May of 2009, I voted against H.R. 2346, a supplemental appropriations bill, because I did not think it did enough to get us closer to achieving a successful end to either conflict. I believe that President Obama is committed to changing course in Iraq and Afghanistan and I struggled over whether to support this bill as a show of faith. Ultimately, my decision came down to my concern that our policies toward Iraq and Afghanistan are inadequately formulated at this time. I still have too many unanswered questions about our policies and our strategies, and I feared that a vote in support of this proposal might imply that I accept the current situation as is. That is why I support legislation filed by my colleague, Congressman Jim McGovern that calls on the President to submit to Congress by December 31, 2009, a report on his exit strategy for Afghanistan.

H.R. 2346 also included funds for Pakistan. I do believe that the Taliban poses a grave threat to Pakistan, a nuclear armed nation. Furthermore, instability in its frontier regions has a direct and dangerous impact on Afghanistan. I recognize the need for additional assistance to Pakistan so that its security forces can combat these challenges. However, H.R. 2346 provided the monetary support without sufficient conditions for its use.

I want to be clear that despite my decision to vote against H.R. 2346, I am convinced that President Obama will take us in a different and more effective direction than our former President.