Himes Sours On Afghanistan War: 'I'm Done'

WASHINGTON -- As public frustration with the war in Afghanistan grows, Rep. Jim Himes has reached a tipping point. The Connecticut Democrat has concluded that the war cannot be won.

"I am increasingly adamant that we are not going to change the country," said Himes at a town hall meeting hosted by the local League of Women Voters in on Monday, according to the Greenwich Patch.

"We have a very ugly partner with Karzai and his people. I take the President at his word he will begin withdrawing troops this summer … because of the cost to our society both human and monetary, and the lack of success," he said.

Himes told a crowd at another town hall meeting in January that he believed the United States was not winning the war. But Patch reported on Monday, the Congressman told his constituents that he has had an "evolution" since then.

"I've arrived at the point of view that we're not going to change Afghanistan," Himes said. "I'm done. I'm done."

Himes did not, however, endorse an immediate troop withdrawal. He also didn't vote for Rep. Dennis Kucinich's (D-Ohio) resolution last month that called for the withdrawal all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

"Withdrawing in 30 days is not the right way to do it," Himes said at the Greenwich meeting. He added that America still needs to have a military presence in the region.

"We should have two military bases in Afghanistan and leave the rest of the country to Afghanistan," Himes added.

The United States is spending more than $100 billion a year in Afghanistan, amounting to about $2 billion a week.

The Defense Department received $513 billion in funding in the Fiscal Year 2011 continuing resolution, approximately $5 billion above last year's level. Another $158 billion is provided for emergency funding, or so-called overseas contingency operations. The war in Afghanistan will receive $108 billion of that funding, while the war in Iraq will receive $50 billion.

Comments

[Madelaine]

05:49 PM on 05/04/2011

Simply put.....let's peel!

[ewldest]

12:10 AM on 05/01/2011

We should have NO bases in Afghanistan - unless we really want to be a colonial power - Most of us don't - let's end the war now.

[Cabo600]

12:11 PM on 04/30/2011

The only thing I don't agree with Hines about is maintaining military bases in Afghanistan. We are still in countries we don't need to be in anymore. We need to leave completely for once.

[CARLITO101]

08:49 AM on 04/30/2011

We do not belong in Afghanistan.Afghanistan has not been conquered by an outside force since Alexander the Great which was 2300 years ago.There is a loose netwoek of tribal chiefs who go with the flavor of the say and no Central Government. I am a Viet Nam Era veteran and the slaughter of our troops in Afghanistan is much worse then Viet Nam. People need to do a search on "Biden impeaches Obama". When he was a U,S, Senator Biden said he would start impeachment proceedings on any President that did not consult Congress before going into a War unless it was because the Security or welfare of the U.S. or its Citizens was in imminnet and Critical danger as per the War Powers act of the U.S. Constitution.U.S. Senator Obama said it would be Unconstitutional. Yet here we are in Libya without consulting Congress and even the No Fly Zone has crept up to bombing, Tomahawk missles. Drones and CIA personnel on the ground. This is also against the Powell Doctrine. By the Way,The CIA in Country was the first stage of the Viet Nam war.

[sanddc]

08:24 AM on 04/30/2011

I f you are so done on this issue please return home and asks the voters to recall you out of office or you can easily leave on MAY 3rd with Ensign through resignation.

[Countess]

08:24 AM on 04/30/2011

It took this man ten years to understand that following the same strategy that the Soviets tried in their attempt to tame and conquer Afghanistan would never work. Not too bright!

[mgrant33301]

08:16 AM on 04/30/2011

another bush mistake. the first was geo and barb concieving him.

[hetrose]

08:12 AM on 04/30/2011

Well, that only took ten years.

[mgrant33301]

08:16 AM on 04/30/2011

and tillions of dollars and many lives. thanks bush!

[jonme]

07:57 AM on 04/30/2011

Thank God..now do your congresssional thing and get those other Democrates to join your force...cause u won't get and GOP members . Salute to you.

[Donns]

07:51 AM on 04/30/2011

Good on ya guy, the light is really bright once you see it, isn't it! Now if we could just get a few of the republicans to see it we the people might have a chance. However, since the republicans are the party of the Military and Industrial complex that Ike warned us about, I don't see we the people as ever having a chance for our opinion being heard.

[bgreen152]

07:48 AM on 04/30/2011

We have so many problems right here in America to solve.Afghanistan and Iraq are 2 giant holes to through money and lives into.WE did'nt get Bin Ladin as promised or the WMD. But we did make lots of defence contractors rich.Thousands were killed and maimed. Lets do our armed forces a favor and bring them home.

[RationalityPlease]

07:44 AM on 04/30/2011

"I'm done..."

"We should have two military bases in Afghanistan and leave the rest of the country to Afghanistan," Himes added.

Big of him to want to give most of Afghanistan back to Afghanistan...

Spoken like a true Republican. Oh, wait, he's a Democrat. Getting harder and harder to tell the difference, these days. Sigh.

[Closer to the Edge]

07:54 AM on 04/30/2011

The GOP wants the money of the poor and working class placed into the pockets of the super rich. The Dems offer a little help to the poor and working class while the GOP offers none. See how easy it is to tell the difference? And the GOP is not saying they want out of Afghanistan. That would be against their mission statement of giving American lives and treasure to war profiteers.

[RationalityPlease]

08:08 AM on 04/30/2011

You are talking to an old woman who has been an ardent political activist since I first marched with Martin, dear. My capacities for critical thinking have sharpened with age, not diminished.

I used to preach the doctrine of the lesser evil. In fact, I did so for many decades. But in recent decades, those crumbs of which you speak have become rarer, smaller, and sometimes don't even turn out to be crumbs upon closer scrutiny. When it comes supporting the war profiteers, this has truly become a bipartisan mission. If you do not think so, you have not been paying close enough attention.

Btw, not that I would ever support any of them, but there actually are some Republicans who are coming out against the wars. Probably for all the wrong reasons, but there are some. They sound very much like this man, replete with the we gotta keep our bases line.

[Never Again]

11:56 AM on 04/30/2011

I recommend seeing Inside Job. I would then recommend rethinking your belief that, when it comes to money for the richest Americans, the parties are substantially different, especially when it comes to the office of the president.

[Ceric55]

07:34 AM on 04/30/2011

In 2003 I vacationed in Egypt and read local newspaper. I remember the message well - all the US can do in Afghanistan is squander wealth and bleed. Finally the US is learning.

[skraeling]

04:32 AM on 04/30/2011

Nothing like a follower to jump out with the rest....and, this is called leadership in America today...the time to oppose wars is before they start....this guy should be bounced out by his district voters.

[Closer to the Edge]

07:58 AM on 04/30/2011

This guy was in college when the war started. Please don't try to pretend he voted for the war before he voted against it. Rather, please try to convince us you attempted to get some facts together before your stated flapping your lips and typing your comment.

[skraeling]

04:27 PM on 04/30/2011

nice spin.....why didn't he move to end the wars his first day in office and I assume he campaigned on ending the wars as well.......please, try to justify a grandstanding hyporcite...Many of us were around in the 60s and saw the same self serving yahoos whose only real principle is getting reelected and getting people like you to support them....

[jqcitizen]

04:09 AM on 04/30/2011

When General Tom Franks was told to change his mission to Baghdad and forget Osma Bin Laden, He was no longer a General, but received the Medal of Freedom from the President, that seemed to forget what September 11, 2011, was about.

[CDRUSNret]

08:26 AM on 05/01/2011

Huh? Franks led the war until "major combat" ended when Hussein was overthrown. He wanted to retire. Rumsfeld even asked him to stay as the 4-satr Army CoS. What are you talking about?