CNN news 2009-12-03 加文本

cnn 2009-12-03

The president laid out his strategy, but Congress wants to find out more about the mission. Right now, the Senate Arm Services Committee is hearing testimony in fact on Afghanistan. We listened earlier to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, we are now watching Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifying right now. Tomorrow, Secretary Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen head over to the House Arm Services Committee. So we will be watching all of that. In the meantime, joining me right now are two members of that committee, both also had unique perspectives on the mission. Republican Representative Duncan Hunter of California served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an officer in the marine court. Democratic Representative Joe Sestak, served 31 years, and retired as an admiral. He ran battle group operations in Afghanistan, now running for senate. They both are joining me from Capitol Hill this morning. Heck of an intro, guys!

Thanks for being here. We sure do appreciate it. I know you were all ears last night to the president's speech and the new plan for Afghanistan. Let me begin with you, Congressman Sestak. Listen with me if you would to a portion of the speech last night. Clue the main point of the entire address. And I will get your comment on the backside here.

And as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home.  These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative, while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.  

Representative Sestak as a former commander, an admiral as we've said in the navy. How do you feel about a Commander-in-Chief pointing out the mission, sending troops over, and that at the same time telling them they will be coming back 18 months later, can you do that?

I think this president made two things very clear. Very first off, he said this is really if you read the speech, not about Afghanistan, it's about Pakistan and the safe haven for Al-Qaeda in that country. Second, he is telling the Afghanis that there is going to be a deadline by which we will begin pulling our troops out and you will accept responsibility. But he did not say when we would have all the troops out. I believe a better approach also would be to provide a benchmark by which we might measure success and failure. So we know how…