Statement on the President's Announcement on Afghanistan

“When he announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan in December 2009, President Obama correctly stated that ensuring a secure Afghanistan is truly in America’s national security interests and is essential to our efforts to prevent further attacks on our nation. Since that decision was announced, our forces have seized momentum from the Taliban and have helped the Afghan national army and police make strides in assuming a larger role in ensuring the security of their country. The President needs to assure the American people tonight that any reduction in troops is being guided by the facts-on-the-ground, not domestic politics.  As we move forward, Congress and the administration must continue to ensure that our troops have the funding and the support they need to succeed in this critical mission.”