WASHINGTON
Congress and the Obama administration "need to get the Pakistani government to step up and do more" about Taliban forces that are entrenched in northern Pakistan and launching attacks into Afghanistan, U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye said Saturday.
The Norfolk Democrat returned home late Friday after a five-day trip to Kuwait, Afghanistan and American military medical facilities in Germany. He said he was encouraged about the prospects for a permanent, democratic and pro-Western government in Afghanistan, but he warned that the country is far from stable.
"It's going to take time," Nye said. "... The greatest challenge is to get the Pakistanis to do something."
Nye said American troops and commanders he met in Afghanistan "made a convincing case" in support of recent increases in American forces ordered by President Barack Obama. He said he was impressed with "soft power" elements of the effort.
In part at the urging of Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the new administration is putting increased emphasis on efforts to rebuild Afghanistan's transportation, communications and education systems.
American troops are doing a great job, Nye said, but "it's not possible to win with military force alone.... We have learned that when you bring aid and are willing to build friendships and alliances, that can be very powerful."
Nye's trip with four other members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee was geared to give the lawmakers an in-person look at the medical care being provided for American troops in the field and in hospitals in Kuwait and Germany for soldiers who are evacuated from combat zones.
Those troops are treated in facilities run by the Defense Department but many come home to be discharged and wind up in Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics. Nye said the committee is examining how medical records are transferred from the military to Veteran Affairs, a process that has not always operated smoothly.
Dale Eisman, (703) 913-9872, dale.eisman@pilotonline.com
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Good Idea CB
Maybe I'll do just that! Swiper No Swiping! Swiper No Swiping!
Funny....
Funny that adolescent NyeVoter makes wild accusations like a true ultraliberal that are derived from "what I heard" gossip. Perhaps he should partake in a poptart and a good showing of Dora the explorer instead.
Hey CB
How about the maturity level of a party that chooses an ex-stripper as its Congressional candidate? How about THAT maturity level. Anyway, I'm off to play nintendo games and drink a juice box.
Now we know why....
From the maturity level of NyeVoter08, it is no wonder that naive adolescents vote for each other and some even temporarily win. Of course, if a conservative wrote such stuff, we would be banished to the "This comment awaiting staff approval" black hole.
This comment awaiting staff approval
Aww, BOO HOO HOO!
Hey, I'm a Republican in the 2nd District and I lost the last Congressional election by an embarrassing margin because my candidate was a do-nothing high school dropout who supported the Post 9/11 GI Bill before she opposed it! Also, rumor has it she used to be an exotic dancer! So who knows which of these skills qualified her to hold elected office, but she sure did look silly standing next to a former State Department diplomat who'd served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo!
BOO HOO HOO! I'm so bitter and upset about this! Luckily, instead of looking for a decent candidate in 2010 I'll probably just turn back to my old standby Thelma, the high school dropout/dancer! She'll probably win this time! Maybe the debates can include a talent competition! Then she'll show that fancy LIBERAL with all that "education" and "experience."
WWTDD
What do you mean? Should Nye break with his predecessor and stop voting in lock-step with the President? You Libs lit up Drake for doing the exact same thing. I guess it's time to acknowledge the double-standard huh? I have!
WWTDD
That's the bumper sticker you too need: What Would Thelma Do Differently?
Let's say the obvious....
Let's say the obvious ideal situation, that is actually unattainable, like he knows something. Can this guy be any more of an immature twit? Who in the world voted for this waste?
Well, genius...
"It's going to take time," Nye said. "... The greatest challenge is to get the Pakistanis to do something."
When the area has us (the US) as a crutch, that's not likely going to happen, now is it, doofus? The Pakistanis would probably prefer to turn Afghanistan into its own personal parking lot, if the world would allow it...
None
This guy is an unbelievable dolt. Embarrassing.