Russ Feingold on The War in Afghanistan

Summary

Senator Feingold initially supported the war in Afghanistan. One of his main criticisms of the war in Iraq was that it distracted from the real war on terror in Afghanistan. 

During the 2008 elections, Senator Feingold applauded the return of attention to Afghanistan, but he began to question the merits of sending additional troops into the country. He stated that doing so would leave a larger military footprint and possibly alienate the Afghani population. He stated that what was really needed was diplomacy and true counterterrorism. He also stated that further involvement in Afghanistan would destabilize Pakistan.

When President Obama announced that he would be sending more troops into Afghanistan, Senator Feingold opposed the plan. He called for a timetable for withdrawal which does not need to be set in stone, but should at least set forth a plan to leave the country.

 

The Afghanistan Surge

In October of 2008, Senator Feingold wrote an op-ed for the Christian Science Monitor where he questioned the merit of plans discussed during the election to send more troops to Afghanistan.

In February of 2009, Senator Feingold issued a press statement in response to President Obama's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. He reiterated his relief at seeing the war in Afghanistan again take center stage, but noted the need for a coherent strategy to go along with the troops.

“After years of a failed foreign policy which distracted us from our top national security priority of defeating al Qaeda and its affiliates, I am encouraged by President Obama’s focus on Afghanistan where the 9/11 attacks originated. But we need to make sure we have a strategy in place for Afghanistan that will actually work before we commit thousands more U.S. troops. A military escalation without a strategy to address the complex problems facing Afghanistan and the region could alienate the Afghan people and make it much more difficult to achieve our top national security goal of defeating al Qaeda.”

In April of 2009, Senator Feingold noted his apprehension of the surge strategy in a press release where he highlighted questions he asked during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He noted that the presence of additional troops may have a destabilizing effect on the country.

Washington, D.C. – During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing today featuring the testimony of Afghanistan Veterans, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold re-raised his concerns with increasing the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan without an adequate strategy for Pakistan. In response to a question from Feingold about the possibility that a U.S. troop escalation could have a destabilizing effect on Pakistan, Colonel Andrew Bacevich (Ret.) stated, “...to some measurable degree, in places like Afghanistan, increasing the U.S. presence actually increases the dimensions of the problem.”

In November of 2009, President Obama announced his intention to send additional troops to Afghanistan. Senator Feingold responded by stating his opposition and stating that sending the additional troops was not in the best national security interest of the nation.

I do not support the president’s decision to send additional troops to fight a war in Afghanistan that is no longer in our national security interest. It’s an expensive gamble to undertake armed nation-building on behalf of a corrupt government of questionable legitimacy. Sending more troops could further destabilize Afghanistan and, more importantly, Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state where al Qaeda is headquartered. While I appreciate that the president made clear we won’t be in Afghanistan forever, I am disappointed by his decision not to offer a timetable for ending our military presence there. I will work with members of both parties and both houses of Congress to push for a flexible timetable to reduce our troop levels in Afghanistan, as part of a comprehensive strategy to combat al Qaeda in the region and around the world.

In December of 2009, Senator Feingold appeared on ABC's "This Week" and questioned the strategy of President Obama.

 

Timetable for Withdrawal

In August of 2009, Senator Feingold released a press statement where he again questioned the merits of sending additional troops into Afghanistan. He also began to call for a timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan. He noted that the schedule could be flexible, but at least a plan to leave Afghanistan should be in place. Senator Feingold continued this call for a timetable into September.

By October, Senator Feingold had broadened the discussion into stating that it was a myth that additional troops would guarantee less violence in Afghanistan. He released a press statement noting this and three other myths in October. 

• Myth 1 – Preventing a potential al Qaeda safe haven in Afghanistan is more important than addressing existing safe havens elsewhere.
• Myth 2 – We’ve already tried counterterrorism and it didn’t work.
• Myth 3 – Additional troops will regain the initiative in Afghanistan.
• Myth 4 – We can pursue a heavy handed strategy in Afghanistan without further destabilizing Pakistan.

In April of 2010, Senator Feingold released a press statement noting legislation that he was introducing to obtain a flexible timetable for withdrawal.

The legislation:

• Would require the president to provide a plan and timetable for drawing down our forces in Afghanistan and identify any variables that could require changes to that timetable.
• Would safeguard U.S. taxpayer dollars by ensuring all U.S. activity in Afghanistan be overseen by an Inspector General.
• Does not set a specific date for withdrawal.

 

Democracy Now Interview

In December of 2009, Senator Feingold granted an interview with Democracy Now and spoke about a number of issues, including the war in Afghanistan.

 

Tavis Smiley Appearance

In June of 2010, Senator Feingold appeared on the Tavis Smiley show and spoke about the war in Afghanistan. He opposed the idea of staying in Afghanistan for the long term, and noted that the idea of conditions on the ground dictating the course in Afghanistan did not make any sense.

 

The Cost of the War

In July of 2010, Senator Feingold wrote an op-ed to note his belief that the war in Afghanistan was costing too much and that a time table for a drawdown of forces would provide relief to funding woes.

Voting Record

Authorization for the Use of Force

Three days after the attacks of September 11, the senate authorized the use of military force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. The vote was unanimous. Russ Feingold voted to give President Bush the Authorization for the use of force.

 

Sponsored and Cosponsored Legislation

This representative has not been identified as sponsoring or cosponsoring significant legislation related to this title.

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