Friday was the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, says it’s to pull all U.S. soldiers out.
Braley says based on his personal visit to the country and the talks he’s had with the troops and the diplomatic personnel, “I am convinced that we have achieved the objectives we set out to and that the long costs of this war are no longer producing the benefits that we desire for this country.”
Braley says there are enormous challenges if troops stay in the country. He says 72% of the population over the age of 15 is illiterate, 35% of the population is unemployed, 36% is below the poverty line and 90-percent of the government revenue comes from foreign aid. Braley says heroin production is also a problem as 83% of the world’s heroin is produced in Afghanistan.
Braley says the U.S. should no longer continue putting money into the country. Braley says, “One of the biggest challenges we face as a country is protecting our citizens, but what we have to do is be smart about how we spend our money and do that job, and that’s why I’m going to continue to call for an end to this war, 10-years after it began.”
Braley represents the first congressional district and is seeking re-election to a fourth term.