BERNIE SANDERS: SNAKE OIL SALESMAN AND AMERICAN IMPERIALIST

from http://www.vermontrepublic.org

United States Senate
WASHINGTON, DC 20510-4504

October 16, 2009

Dear Mr. Naylor:

Thank you for contacting me about the tragic situation in Afghanistan. This is an issue which weighs very heavily on the minds of Vermonters, and I appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.

In 2001 we went into Afghanistan in an unsuccessful search for Osama bin Laden. Eight years later – twice the time we spent fighting WWII – we are still there, with no end in sight. My great fear about Afghanistan is that we will get bogged down into a never-ending quagmire with more and more loss of life and billions more spent. Now is the time for a national discussion as to what our goals in Afghanistan are, and what our exit strategy will be.

A recent call by the commander of U.S. and NATO forces for a significant buildup in the number of combat troops in Afghanistan has been greeted by mounting skepticism in Congress. The American people are increasingly disturbed about the widespread government corruption in Afghanistan and the fact that political forces loyal to President Karzai engaged in well-documented fraud during the recent election. There is also great concern that Afghanistan today remains the largest producer in the world of poppy seeds, which are a major source of the heroin that is hitting the streets of countries throughout the world.

I commend President Obama for taking the time – as he is now doing – to comprehensively review our goals and our strategy in Afghanistan. I am pleased that we have a president who carefully considers the commitments he makes for our nation, looking at what those commitments mean for our troops and our economy. I am pleased that he is deciding what we hope to accomplish – and whether we can accomplish those goals successfully.

I am glad that the President is rethinking our options and looking at alternatives to a major increase in troops. Obviously, we have to remain vigilant in the fight against terrorism and do what we can to prevent the Taliban from retaking Afghanistan, but we’ve got to do it in a smart way.

Sincerely,

BERNARD SANDERS
United States Senate