Feingold - Few troops in Afghanistan, many troops in Iraq- misguided policy

[undeterred]

I have to say I've wondered what we were doing in Afghanistan a lot of the time and no one ever seems to pay that much attention to it. From the beginning Feingold has been against the war in Iraq but favored sending troops to Afghanistan. He responded to my email asking about it on December 20:

From Senator Feingold:

I believe that the fight against al Qaeda and is affiliates is our highest national security priority. Unfortunately, the administration continues to pursue a misguided and open-ended military mission in Iraq that has diverted resources and attention from other places around the world where al Qaeda and its affiliates are operating. I am working to safely redeploy our troops from Iraq so that we can focus on the global threat posed by al Qaeda.

Combating terrorism requires a multi-faceted approach that includes, but is not limited to, military action. We must work to track down the leaders of al Qaeda, such as Osama bin Laden, and ut off terrorists' access to financing. We also need to use public and private diplomacy, and to encourage citizen diplomacy, to build solid relationships around the world and facilitate crucial nformation sharing and cooperation. Halting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and developing more effective ways to prevent and contain chemical, biological, and radiological attacks are essential. Finally, it is also important that the United States offer support and the promise of stability to weak and failing states, where disorder presents dangerous opportunities to terrorists and international criminals who could ultimately harm our national interests.

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I will continue to closely monitor our efforts to combat al Qaeda.

... No doubt he had Pakistan in mind.

Feingold's statement today: “The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is terrible news for those who support a stabilized democracy in Pakistan, both in that country and around the world. Bhutto was a brave leader who was beloved by millions in Pakistan. The questions surrounding her assassination should have direct bearing on both the future of democracy in Pakistan and the relationship we will have with a country that is so critical in the fight against global terrorism.”