The press office of Russ Feingold (D-WI) issued the following statement by the Senator regarding the outcome of the Afghan elections. Here’s the full text:
“The deeply flawed election in Afghanistan is just one more reason to question our current misguided strategy, which relies too much on military force and partnerships with corrupt government officials and security forces. Increasing our military footprint will exacerbate the perception among Afghans that the U.S. intends to occupy their country in support of a government many see as illegitimate. This could further destabilize the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan and make it more difficult to isolate and target al Qaeda globally, which is our top national security priority. The United States must set realistic counterterrorism and development goals using a smaller U.S. presence, while working with credible local and regional partners to bring about stability.”
