Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold issued a statement on Monday on the possibility of sending more U.S. military forces to Afghanistan:
“I was encouraged by President Obama’s skepticism about sending more troops into Afghanistan. Our goal must be to do what is in the best interests of our national security and, as the president said, sending more troops doesn’t automatically make Americans more safe. I welcome General McChrystal’s report but his task is to solely focus on Afghanistan while we need to consider how sending more troops would affect the entire region and our efforts to fight al Qaeda globally. Spending billions more dollars and sending thousands more troops to Afghanistan may not significantly improve conditions on the ground and may actually prove counterproductive in stabilizing Pakistan and fighting al Qaeda in the region and around the world.
“The administration should offer a flexible timetable for when our massive military operations in Afghanistan will end. This will defuse the perception that we are occupying that country, which fuels militancy and instability in Afghanistan and nuclear-armed Pakistan.”
In thinking about the idea of sending more American servicemen and women into harm’s way in Afghanistan, I’m reminded of the saying, “More isn’t always better.” I have to agree with Sen. Feingold’s assessment that an increase in the number of American boots on the ground in Afghanistan may not significantly improve conditions on the ground and may ultimately prove to be counterproductive in stabilizing Pakistan and fighting al Qaeda in the region and around the world.
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