Fort Wayne, IN – Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the member of Congress who most recently deployed to Afghanistan, tonight issued the following statement regarding President Donald Trump’s speech on Afghanistan:
“I applaud President Trump’s decision to change course in Afghanistan and focus on achieving victory rather than avoiding defeat. The plot to execute 9/11 was hatched in Afghanistan, and together with Pakistan, the region is still a breeding ground for terrorism today. As the most recently deployed member of Congress, I saw firsthand the disintegration of efforts in Afghanistan under the Obama Administration’s abrupt drawdown. We must continue taking the fight there to prevent this terrorism from returning to our shores. This is only possible with a sound strategy, a steadfast commitment to building the capacity of our Afghan partners and enough troops to finish the mission. I’m pleased we finally have a commander-in-chief who is ready to provide the right leadership to win the war in Afghanistan. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee in the days and weeks ahead to monitor the implementation of the President’s proposed strategy.”