WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kit Bond, Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, today renewed calls for our top military commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, to testify before Congress.  Bond stressed again the importance of Congress, and the American people, hearing directly from General McChrystal after learning President Obama has talked to his top commander on the ground in Afghanistan only once in the last 70 days.

 

“While the President doesn’t want to hear from General McChrystal, Congress does,” said Bond.  “It’s baffling that the President has made time to pitch the Olympics in Copenhagen, appear on Letterman and every other station except the Food Network and Fox, but not to talk to our top commander-on-the-ground.”

 

Bond made his comments today after General McChrystal appeared on CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday, where the General admitted that he has only spoken with the President once in the last 70 days.  The Senator called this news even more disturbing since it follows the President’s recent public verbal wavering, calling into question his support for our efforts to defeat terrorists in Afghanistan.   This public lack of commitment to the conflict in Afghanistan has emboldened the terrorists who want to defeat America and disheartened our allies, the people of Afghanistan and our troops, emphasized Bond.

 

Senator Bond was one of the strongest supporters of the Administration’s new strategy in Afghanistan, when in March the President announced a new, comprehensive approach to the war in Afghanistan.  Unfortunately, our troops in the field have been waiting over 6 months for the President to make good on his promise to support a fully resourced counter-insurgency campaign.   

 

Bond emphasized that President Obama cannot continue to dither and delay.  As General McChrystal’s assessment points out, time is of the essence, and the next 9 to 12 months are critical.  Bond has heard and seen enough to know that failure to send in troops now could allow militant Taliban and al Qaeda to come into Afghanistan and potentially regain control of the country which served as a launching pad for the 9-11 attacks.  The urgency of the situation in Afghanistan and the Administration’s apparent unwillingness to act, make it necessary for Congress and the American people to hear directly from General McChyrstal, stressed Bond.

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