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House Armed Services Committee
Chairman Skelton's opening statement--January 30, 2007

"Gentlemen, welcome and thank you for being here. Yesterday I returned from a trip to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as part of a delegation that was led by Speaker Pelosi. While we greatly appreciated our meetings with Afghanistan's President Karzai and Pakistan's President Musharraf and both American and NATO senior commanders, as always it was our fighting men and women who were the highlight of the trip. These courageous men and women are serving on the front lines of a critical mission devotion and patriotism. We are truly grateful to them and their families for the sacrifices they're making.

"The delegation left the country convinced that this has become the forgotten war. I have been saying this for some time now and the trip confirmed my concerns. We must do more to secure Afghanistan while the effort there is still winnable. Reconstruction, governance, and an economic base that does not rely primarily on the narcotics trade will be long-term efforts. But the Taliban can be destroyed for good giving the Afghan people the hope that their future lies with the central government and giving us the confidence that this country will not again become a terrorist harbor.

"But to do this, the commanders in Afghanistan must have the adequate troops and the right types of them, particularly through the spring and summer months. I believe the recently announced increase in troop strength by extending the 3rd Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan for 4 months for Afghanistan will help. It will be a sacrifice for these troops and their families and they cannot do it alone.

"While we should consider what else we need to do for Afghanistan, our NATO partners must do more as well. They have made commitments to this fight in Afghanistan-both to stabilizing the country and to its reconstruction. They need to step up their efforts. Their commander, British General David Richards, told our delegation that the countries of the alliance must contribute more fighting forces. The whole world stands to gain if Afghanistan succeeds.

"I am encouraged by reports of supplemental assistance for Afghanistan, to be proposed in the administration's budget package. Speaker Pelosi has made it clear that Congress will expeditiously consider the proposal. We need to look carefully at what must be done next in terms of training and equipping the Afghan security forces and for reconstruction. This committee and others will look at these issues carefully.

"The challenges in Afghanistan continue to be great. Security in Afghanistan necessarily involves the border region with Pakistan and the development of competent security forces. Opium production is at record levels, and unless tackled more aggressively could undermine all other efforts to stabilize the country. Corruption is also rampant. And much of the population remains illiterate and impoverished- without even the most basic services such as running water and electricity. But I believe there is great reason to be optimistic about Afghanistan if we put the right resources there and maintain a consistent commitment under a consistent long-term strategy that gives this country the attention it deserves.

"So Gentlemen I hope you can help us understand the way forward. This will be the first of several hearings we will hold on Afghanistan in coming months and you will help us set the stage. What are the key challenges facing the U.S. and coalition military operations, the Afghan government and security forces, and counter-narcotics and reconstruction efforts? And how should these challenges be addressed?

"I am pleased to have with us an exceptionally qualified panel of experts. We have Ambassador James Dobbins, who served as the President's first envoy to Afghanistan following the 9-11 attacks. We have Ambassador Karl Inderfurth, who handled matters involving Afghanistan as the Assistant Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001. We have the Honorable Ali A. Jalali, Afghanistan's Interior Minister until 2005. And we have Doctor Anthony Cordesman with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who is another one of the country's top experts on Afghanistan.

"Before your testimony gentlemen, I turn to my good friend and colleague from California, Duncan Hunter, for any statement he may wish to make."