Conservative Principles Now

Last weekend, I headed to Afghanistan with some of my colleagues to view firsthand the conditions on the ground as a follow up to the new strategy outlined by President Obama.

We met with our troops and senior military officials and, from my perspective there is a lot of positive momentum coming from them. The morale of our troops is high and our commanders on the ground are confident we can win the tactical battle.

The military is pleased with the President’s decision to send additional troops to assist with the mission. I am also pleased that the President is listening to his generals on the ground, even as some of his staunch political supporters strongly disagree with this decision.

We also met with President Karzai and, candidly, I have serious concerns about his ability to make the changes necessary for the victory. President Karzai has a tough job ahead of him. As I see it, there are four key areas that must improve to ensure victory.

First, the corruption that is rampant throughout Afghanistan must be stopped. The influence of corrupt officials in the Afghan government is a troubling problem that will have long-term impacts on stability.

Secondly, while our troops are doing a remarkable job of training Afghanistan forces, the Afghans are nowhere near ready to take over security yet. This is a concern, which must be addressed before our troops return home. Read the rest of this entry »

While the Obama Administration has appeared anything but decisive in response to field commanders’ calls for more troops in Afghanistan, the Administration is earning kudos from some for efforts to protect biodiversity. Rep. Elliot Engle has sent a “dear colleague” urging members to sign a letter to Special Envoy to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke commending the U.S. State Department for developing a biodiversity program in Afghanistan. According to the Engle’s letter, “…thousands of Afghans have been trained in natural resource management, seven environmental laws and regulations have been drafted and 45 community committees link rural communities with the central government in deciding the future of natural resources.”

But that’s not all. Band-e-Amir, Afghanistan’s first national park was established this year. According to the Engle letter the park is a “… series of pristine travertine lakes in one of the safer regions of the country” and “has a history of drawing tourists from around the world to enjoy its cultural and environmental beauty.”

One such recent visitor was the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, who, according to the Huffington Post, “…jumped in a swan-shaped pedal boat and beamed a bright smile as he cruised the waters with different Afghan officials.” (See Ambassador peddling green swan boat here.)