III 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 34 

Calling for the strengthening of the efforts of the United States to defeat 

the Taliban and terrorist networks in Afghanistan. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 18, 2007 

Mr. KERRY (for himself and Mr. FEINGOLD) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Calling for the strengthening of the efforts of the United 

States to defeat the Taliban and terrorist networks in 

Afghanistan. 

Whereas global terrorist networks, including the al Qaeda organization that attacked the United States on September 

11, 2001, continue to threaten the security of the United 

States and are recruiting new members and developing 

the capability and plans to attack the United States and 

its allies throughout the world; 

Whereas a democratic, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan is 

a vital security interest of the United States; 

Whereas stability in Afghanistan is being threatened by 

antigovernment and Taliban forces that seek to disrupt 

political and economic developments throughout the country; 


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•SRES 34 IS 

Whereas Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leaders of al Qaeda, are still at large and are reportedly hiding somewhere in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region; 

Whereas, according to United States military intelligence officials— 

(1) Taliban attacks on United States, allied, and Afghan forces increased from 1,558 in 2005 to 4,542 in 

2006; 

(2) suicide bomb attacks in Afghanistan increased 

from 27 in 2005 to 139 in 2006; 

(3) roadside bomb attacks more than doubled from 

783 in 2005 to 1,677 in 2006; and 

(4) crossborder attacks from Pakistan into Afghanistan have increased by 300 percent since September 

2006; 

Whereas, on September 2, 2006, the United Nations Office 

on Drugs and Crime reported that in 2006 opium poppy 

cultivation in Afghanistan increased 59 percent over 

2005 levels and reached a record high; 

Whereas the President’s current request for United States 

economic assistance to Afghanistan for fiscal year 2007 

is approximately 33 percent of the amount appropriated 

for fiscal year 2006; 

Whereas only 50 percent of the money pledged by the international community for Afghanistan between 2002 and 

2005 has actually been delivered; 

Whereas, on September 12, 2006, the Secretary of State 

said, ‘‘[A]n Afghanistan that does not complete its democratic evolution and become a stable, terrorist-fighting 

state is going to come back to haunt us. . . . [I]t will 


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come back to haunt our successors and their successors.’’ 

and ‘‘If we should have learned anything, it is if you 

allow that kind of vacuum, if you allow a failed state in 

that strategic a location, you’re going to pay for it.’’; 

Whereas the bipartisan Iraq Study Group Report concluded, 

‘‘If the Taliban were to control more of Afghanistan, it 

could provide al Qaeda the political space to conduct terrorist operations. This development would destabilize the 

region and have national security implications for the 

United States and other countries around the world.’’; 

Whereas the Iraq Study Group Report recommended that the 

President provide additional political, economic, and military support for Afghanistan, including resources that 

might become available as combat forces are redeployed 

from Iraq; 

Whereas the Iraq Study Group Report specifically recommended that the United States meet the request of 

General James Jones, then United States North Atlantic 

Treaty Organisation (NATO) commander, for more 

troops to combat the resurgence of al Qaeda and Taliban 

forces in Afghanistan; 

Whereas, on October 8, 2006, General David Richards, 

NATO’s top commander in Afghanistan, warned that a 

majority of Afghans would likely switch their allegiance 

to resurgent Taliban militants if their lives showed no 

visible improvements in the next 6 months; 

Whereas, on January 6, 2007, Army Brigadier General Anthony J. Tata stated that the shortage of troops in Afghanistan could create a ‘‘strategic high risk, a strategic 

threat’’ to the United States and ‘‘an operational threat’’ 

to the elected government of Hamid Karzai; 


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•SRES 34 IS 

Whereas, on January 15, 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert 

M. Gates stated that there were ‘‘indications that the 

Taliban were planning a large spring offensive’’ against 

United States troops and NATO forces; 

Whereas, on January 16, 2007, Lieutenant General Karl 

Eikenberry, the senior United States commander in Afghanistan, asked to extend the deployment of a United 

States battalion in Afghanistan that was scheduled to be 

redeployed to Iraq; 

Whereas, on January 17, 2007, General David Richards stated that unmet pledges of troops and equipment from 

NATO countries have left him 10 to 15 percent short of 

the forces he requires, saying, ‘‘Clearly, there is a need 

to fulfill those commitments.’’; 

Whereas, on January 17, 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert 

M. Gates stated that United States military commanders 

in Afghanistan have requested additional United States 

troops for Afghanistan, and stated that he was ‘‘sympathetic’’ to this request; 

Whereas the United States currently has approximately 

21,000 troops in Afghanistan, approximately 1⁄7 of the 

number of United States troops currently deployed to 

Iraq; 

Whereas the President of the United States has announced 

plans to send approximately 21,500 additional United 

States troops to Iraq; and 

Whereas if the United States does not strengthen efforts to 

defeat the Taliban and to create long-term stability in Afghanistan, Afghanistan will become what it was before 

the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a haven for 

those who seek to harm the United States and a source 


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of instability that threatens the security of the United 

States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) the United States must strengthen its com3 mitment to establishing long-term stability and 

4 peace in Afghanistan; 

5 (2) the President should not reduce the total 

6 number of United States troops serving in Afghani7 stan in order to increase the total number of United 

8 States troops serving in Iraq; 

9 (3) the United States, in partnership with the 

10 International Security Assistance Force and the 

11 Government of Afghanistan, should immediately in12 crease its efforts to eradicate the Taliban, terrorist 

13 organizations, and criminal networks currently oper14 ating in Afghanistan, including by increasing United 

15 States military personnel as requested by United 

16 States military commanders in Afghanistan; 

17 (4) the United States, in support of the Govern18 ment of Afghanistan, should significantly increase 

19 the amount of economic assistance available in Af20 ghanistan for reconstruction, social and economic de21 velopment, counternarcotics efforts, and democracy 

22 promotion activities; and 

23 (5) the United States should work aggressively 

24 to encourage members of the international commuVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:28 Jan 19, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR34.IS SR34

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1 nity to deliver on the financial pledges they have 

2 made to support development and reconstruction ef3 forts in Afghanistan. 

Æ 


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