Posted on 07/01/2020 10:45:12 PM PDT by robowombat
House panel votes to constrain Afghan drawdown, ask for assessment on 'incentives' to attack US troops BY REBECCA KHEEL - 07/01/20 11:24 PM EDT
House panel votes to constrain Afghan drawdown, ask for assessment on 'incentives' to attack US troops © Getty The House Armed Services Committee voted Wednesday to put roadblocks on President Trump’s ability to withdraw from Afghanistan, including requiring an assessment on whether any country has offered incentives for the Taliban to attack U.S. and coalition troops.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amendment, from Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), would require several certifications before the U.S. military can further draw down in Afghanistan.
The amendment was approved 45-11.
Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), the No. 3 House Republican, argued the amendment “lays out, in a very responsible level of specificity, what is going to be required if we are going to in fact make decisions about troop levels based on conditions on the ground and based on what's required for our own security, not based on political timelines."
“And that is crucially important, and I think it is our number one priority,” she added.
The amendment comes as Trump’s withdrawal deal with the Taliban remains precarious as high violence levels persist in Afghanistan.
The U.S. military has said it is down to 8,600 troops in line with the agreement to get to that level by mid-July. But military officials have insisted any further drawdown will be based on conditions on the ground that are not yet met, even as Trump pushes for a speedy withdrawal.
The amendment also comes amid a firestorm in Washington over intelligence showing a Russian military unit offered bounties to Taliban-linked military to kill U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan.
Among the amendment’s requirements is an assessment of whether any “state actors have provided any incentives to the Taliban, their affiliates, or other foreign terrorist organizations for attacks against United States, coalition, or Afghan security forces or civilians in Afghanistan in the last two years, including the details of any attacks believed to have been connected with such incentives.”
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) framed the measure as particularly important in light of the revelations.
“There's been bipartisan criticism of what a weak deal [Trump] got with the Taliban, a deal that is already falling apart,” Moulton said. “Now we learned that he was making this deal at the same time as there were bounties on the heads of American troops, American sons and daughters. We clearly need more oversight over what the president is doing in Afghanistan.”
Crow’s amendment would block funding to dip below 8,000 troops and then again to below 4,000 troops unless the administration certifies that doing so would not compromise the U.S. counterterrorism mission in Afghanistan, not increase risk for U.S. personnel there, be done in consultation with allies, and is in the best interest of the United States.
It would also require an analysis on the effects of a drawdown on the threat from the Taliban, the status of human and civil rights, an inclusive Afghan peace process, the capacity of Afghan forces and the effect of malign actors on Afghan sovereignty.
House panel votes to limit Trump's Germany withdrawal House panel approves $740.5B defense policy bill Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a staunch Trump ally, argued the amendment would unfairly tie the administration’s hands.
“A great nation does not force the next generation to fight their wars, and that's what we've done in Afghanistan,” Gaetz said. “I think the best day to have not had the war in Afghanistan was when we started it, and the next best day is tomorrow.
"I don't think there's ever a bad day to end the war in Afghanistan," he added. "Our generation is weary of this and tired of this.”
President Trump should order every last American out of Afghanistan tomorrow. Congress never passed a Declaration of War.
Leave the Afghans to stew in their ****hole.
L
yeah
they can’t use no declaration of war afainst him when they like, and then not care about it when he wants to reverse something that’s never had a declaration of war...
just think about it for a second
Opium rules the world. As much as oil. No one will discuss it at all. We pretend we’re nation building. We are just protecting the opium trade. Tump as CinC should order the opium fields fuel_air bombed. Fire every general who resists.
There's three the Senate and country can do without.
“just think about it for a second”
I’ve thought about it a lot longer than that. Congress never passed a formal Declaration of War so President Trump is under no legal obligation to keep our troops there one more day.
He is the undisputed Commander in Chief. He can order the Pentagon to pack up their shit and be home by Friday and sack any General who so much as twitches an objection.
For good measure he should order 24 hour a day bombing runs on every known poppy field and opium processing site while we pack our stuff. It’s a pity we no longer have napalm or Agent Orange in our inventory.
L
OBTW, Trumps border wall seems to have really put a crimp in the river of all sorts of drugs and chemicals crossing into the US. That may be feeding the current out of control rage by the insider establishment toward Trump and where BLM and other social justice miscreants are getting much of their untraceable funds.
We have Roundup, and all its wonderful toxic effects on humans.
I like the way you think.
L
Leftist drug users protecting their source. The same can be said for the open southern boarder and opposition to the wall.
BTW Obama organized the community controlled by street gang founded by. Mexican Drug cartel. Besides dugs they also dealt in male and female prostitution, MURDER for hire and domestic terrorism. There are no coincidences. Jesse Jackson’s half brother, Noah Robinson is doing life for his contribution to gang. (Robinson as in Michelle Robinson O. We IS Family! )
So, the democrats are now the war party, voting to force us to keep troops in Afghanistan, and also to keep all of our troops in Germany — all because Trump is against it.
They were happy when Obama removed troops from Germany.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.