BIDEN/LEVIN Request Joint Testimony from U.S. Ambassador and Top General in Afghanistan

With Crocker and Petraeus Reporting on Iraq in April, Biden and Levin Request Similar Report on Afghanistan from Wood and McNeill

Washington, DC – Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) and Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Carl Levin (D-MI) wrote to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to request the joint testimony of U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan William B. Wood and NATO International Security Assistance Force Commander, U.S. General Dan McNeill before the Foreign Relations Committee and the Armed Services Committee.

The full letters are below:

March 6, 2008

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Rice:

We appreciate your willingness to make U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker available to testify before Congress along with Commander, Multi-National Force-Iraq, General David Petraeus. Hearing directly from the commanding general in theater and the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq is critically important to Congress’ consideration of our Iraq policy and operational needs.

The conflict in Afghanistan must also be a priority. It is essential that Congress hear from the commanding general and U.S. ambassador about the situation on the ground in Afghanistan. We are deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, based on both first-hand observations and the recent testimony of military experts, the intelligence community, State Department officials, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Among our concerns are that six years after the defeat of the Taliban, an anti-government insurgency is re-asserting itself in many previously-peaceful provinces, al Qaeda is regenerating along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, poppy production remains at record levels, international development and reconstruction efforts lack both coordination and resources, shortfalls continue in troops and equipment for NATO’s Afghanistan mission, and many of the Afghan people are at risk of losing faith in the ability of their government to deliver a better future.

In short, we are concerned that the United States and the international community lack a strategy for success in Afghanistan. We want to hear first hand from our leaders on the ground what they believe they need to succeed.

We request that you make U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan William B. Wood available to testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee no later than April 18, 2008. We are making a similar request to Secretary of Defense Gates to make General Dan K. McNeill, USA, Commander, NATO International Security Assistance Force, available to testify along with Ambassador Wood.

We look forward to a prompt response.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Carl Levin
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee

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March 6, 2008

The Honorable Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310-1000

Dear Secretary Gates:

We appreciate your willingness to make the Commander, Multi-National Force-Iraq, General David Petraeus, available to testify before Congress along with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker. Hearing directly from the commanding general in theater and the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq is critically important to Congress’ consideration of our Iraq policy and operational needs.

The conflict in Afghanistan must also be a priority. It is essential that Congress hear from the commanding general and U.S. ambassador about the situation on the ground in Afghanistan. We are deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, based on both first-hand observations and the recent testimony of military experts, the intelligence community, State Department officials, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Among our concerns are that six years after the defeat of the Taliban, an anti-government insurgency is re-asserting itself in many previously-peaceful provinces, al Qaeda is regenerating along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, poppy production remains at record levels, international development and reconstruction efforts lack both coordination and resources, shortfalls continue in troops and equipment for NATO’s Afghanistan mission, and many of the Afghan people are at risk of losing faith in the ability of their government to deliver a better future.

In short, we are concerned that the United States and the international community lack a strategy for success in Afghanistan. We want to hear first hand from our leaders on the ground what they believe they need to succeed.

We request that you make General Dan K. McNeill, USA, Commander, NATO International Security Assistance Force, available to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee no later than April 18, 2008. We are making a similar request to Secretary of State Rice to make U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan William B. Wood available to testify along with General McNeill.

We look forward to a prompt response.

Sincerely,

Carl Levin
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee

Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee