Shuster appeals for war support
U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster said progress is being made in Afghanistan and urged Americans to continue supporting the troops and the ongoing military effort. “It’s so important that the American people stay resolved to having success in Afghanistan, because Afghanistan is no longer just about Afghanistan. It’s about Afghanistan and Pakistan, and we can’t afford to have an unstable Pakistan,” he said, noting that Middle East country is equipped with nuclear weapons.
Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, said al-Qaida and Taliban cells located in Pakistan would be even more dangerous if they were able to gain control of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.
“Osama bin Laden would not hesitate to use a nuclear weapon against us or one of our allies, and if that were to occur it would make 9/11 look like a minor event.
“It would be devastating,” he said.
Shuster, who recently returned from a weeklong trip to the Middle East as part of a congressional delegation, said the trip gave him a firsthand assessment of the security situation in Afghanistan and its impact on regional allies.
“I want to be able to look our troops in the eyes and hear what they have to say,” he said.
Shuster said the most recent trip to Afghanistan was his fifth time in the country, and he said improvements were noticeable.
“I came away from Afghanistan with a fairly positive outlook,” he said.
According to Shuster, the Afghan economy has become more stable, growing 20 percent in 2009, and Afghan military and police recruitments are rising.
“I could see and feel the improvements driving through the streets of Kabul. Improvements in infrastructure, roads, sanitation, schools and hospitals are transforming the city. I saw traffic jams and what seemed like thousands of Afghanis in the streets doing everyday business at a rate not seen on my previous tours of the city,” he said.
Shuster said that contrary to reports made by national media outlets, progress is being made in Afghanistan. He credited former President George W. Bush, Gen. Stanley McChrystal and President Barack Obama for their respective roles.
“I believe it’s the direct result of President Bush’s commitment of additional resources beginning in 2008 and more recently, Gen. McChrystal’s well thought out counterinsurgency strategy and President Obama’s willingness to surge combat troop levels in Afghanistan,” he said.
Shuster said the United States didn’t just add more than 30,000 troops during the surge, but also tripled the civilian security force. The Department of State, Department of Agriculture, Department of Homeland Security and FBI now have more than 1,000 civilian employees helping stabilization efforts, he said.
“These improvements demonstrate that the strategy put in place by Gen. McChrystal and continued by Gen. (David) Petraeus of protecting citizens and aggressively killing or capturing Taliban insurgents is having a positive impact on the security situation in Afghanistan,” Shuster said.
Despite the improvements, Shuster said Afghanistan still faces several challenges. Corruption in the Afghan government, both at the local and national levels, is a problem.
“It is extremely important that the Afghan government roots out corruption,” he said. “The government of President (Hamid) Karzai is still very fragile. He needs to stamp out corruption or he will lose faith with the Afghan people. I can see that he is fighting, but it is a struggle he must win.”
Shuster said al-Qaida and Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan also remain a significant challenge in regards to the security situation in Afghanistan and surrounding area. The recent flooding in Pakistan has made it even more difficult for the unsettled government to clamp down on insurgents.