Congressman Mike Rogers participated this week in a House Armed Services Committee Hearing on the new U.S. Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The lead witness was General David Petraeus, United States Central Command.

Rogers, along with several other Members of Congress, questioned General Petraeus on when the remaining 13,000 troops would be deployed to Afghanistan in order to meet the 34,000 troop level goal that General David McKiernan has said that he needs. The question was in response to the President’s announcement to deploy 4,000 more troops, in addition to the 17,000 that he originally declared, to Afghanistan. Rogers also inquired when Congress would see milestones, goals and objectives from the Department of Defense on the Afghanistan and Pakistan strategy.

“I think it is important that Congress know what we are trying to accomplish in Afghanistan,” Rogers said.

“Afghanistan will offer a new set of challenges with more rural areas and a different terrain than what our brave men and women in uniform have experienced in Iraq.  We must also make sure that our strategy takes into account the unique set of circumstances with Pakistan,” he added.

Rogers says he believes the same level of commitment to victory is as important in Afghanistan as it is in Iraq.

Rogers is as also a member of the Homeland Security Committee and the Agriculture Committee.

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