Baltimore — U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s announcement regarding South Asia policy.
“After 16 years of America’s longest war, the U.S continues to have significant national security interests in Afghanistan. Our ultimate goal should be a just, durable peace and political resolution the conflicts that have plagued the country for so long.
“Our strategy should include all relevant regional actors, including Pakistan and India. Pressure must be increased on Pakistan to end its support for extremist groups like the Haqqani Network, Lashkar-i-Taiba, and Jaish-i-Mohammed that fuel so much of the violence in the region. The Afghan government has a central leadership role to play, with our help, in advancing a reform process and serious anti-corruption efforts. And the U.S. must continue to maintain a capability to counter terrorist groups like the ISIL-K and the Haqqani Network.
“But after 16 years, it is clearly a military solution alone will not solve the conflicts that plague the country and I diverge from the president on the proposed increase of U.S. troops. The previous administration surged troops twice into Afghanistan. I fail to see how this third surge would serve to turn the tide against the insurgency. Furthermore, I am very concerned that President Trump has devolved significant authority in Afghanistan to the Secretary of Defense. The leadership of the Department of Defense should certainly inform the process, but the president is the commander in chief and should take full responsibility for any decision to deploy our brave service members.
“I strongly support a renewed and robust diplomatic effort to advance a political solution that brings a durable peace to Afghanistan. Working with our partners in the international community and inside the country, our focus must be on the hard work of diplomacy and negotiation to finally bring this conflict to a conclusion. If the administration proves serious in the pursuit of a durable and just peace, using our diplomatic and development tools, I stand ready to support those efforts.
“In my role on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue conducting rigorous oversight on all aspects of Afghanistan policy. In the coming weeks, I plan to introduce legislation that would highlight the important roles that diplomacy and development should play in supporting a political resolution in the region.
“The Afghan people have been through 30 years of war. As we have seen, instability and the terrorism it breeds in this part of the world has a direct impact on our national security. After so many years, the U.S. should use its influence to work toward a durable political solution that finally brings the conflict to an end.”
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