Ending Nation-Building in Iraq and Afghanistan so We Can Focus on Growing America’s Economy

I have been a strong advocate for bringing our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Too much money, time, commitment and, most importantly, far too many American lives have been spent on this action. Thankfully, our military involvement in the Iraq War is coming to an end.  Now we need to support the elected Iraqi government through civil and diplomatic means to make the best that we can of the situation.

The war in Afghanistan is now America’s longest war.  It was begun with a clear purpose: to remove the Taliban, which harbored Al Qaeda, and eliminate a threat to the security of our country.  That mission was completed years ago thanks to the courage and competence of our armed services.  Endless nation-building was never our goal, and now we should exit Afghanistan as safely and responsibly as possible.

Our troops put their lives on the line every day to defend our freedoms.  They’ve done everything we’ve asked of them.  They deserve leadership, and a new approach worthy of their commitment and sacrifice.