SHAHEEN STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NEW AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN STRATEGY

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S Senator Jeanne Shaheen released the following statement today in support of President Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan:

“For far too long, the war in Iraq has distracted us from the grave threat posed by terrorists in the Afghanistan and Pakistan border area.  President Obama today laid out a comprehensive strategy to address the dangers we face in this region, including specific goals and benchmarks to define and measure progress – critical strategic elements we’ve been operating without.

“I recently met with Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and many of our NATO allies to discuss our strategy in regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and it’s clear this refocusing is essential to our national security.  I support President Obama’s decision to refocus our resources, and I’m committed to ensuring that our brave men and women fighting for our country receive the support and resources they need to succeed.”