Fargo, ND – North Dakota Congressman Earl Pomeroy says the war in Afghanistan is far from over.
Pomeroy returned on Saturday from a congressional delegation trip that included visits to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Pomeroy says he met with several U-S troops and morale has been very high.
"I felt our security was very well provided for by the military and the state department. Without question, it's a high-risk area. It's a very dangerous place for the men and women in our military. The helicopter that crashed yesterday took off from the tarmack of the airport I had stood on just a few days prior. The troops continue to maintain a high degree of vigilence. We've had a tremendous success executing this campaign, but nobody thinks that it's over or that the it's behind us."
Pomeroy says on one hand there's a great deal of pride in what's been achieved so far in Afghanistan but on the other hand--there's a broad recognition that this war is far from over and the danger continues to be very high.
"For one thing, there were 80,000 Taliban and they melted away like snow on a warm spring day. Some of them went back to their villages and they'll never be Taliban again. Some of them are no doubt regrouping somewhere and it's broadly assumed that there's going to be some kind of counterstrike. Now, the control that we have been able to put into effect over the country will make sure they won't be able to throw us out of Afghanistan. But on the other hand, they can do an awful lot of damage and kill a lot of people. And so that's why the degree of vigilence remains so high--the air campaign continues even today."
Pomeroy says his conclusion from the trip is that the competence and professionalism demonstrated throughout the military branches by everyone involved has been extraordinary.