Out of Afghanistan: Congress Hears Us

UPDATE: Over 90 Congress Members have signed!

The majority of us in the United States have favored withdrawing the U.S. military from Afghanistan for years now.  The media credit President Obama with "ending" the war over a period longer than the full duration of most wars, a period to be followed by the ongoing presence of possibly 10,000 troops after the war has "ended."

That's not good enough.  The Senate has now said so, passing a resolution urging faster withdrawal.

In the House, Congresswoman Barbara Lee is collecting her colleagues' signatures on a letter to the President urging withdrawal and reminding him that any long-term commitment of troops requires Congressional authorization.

Please ask your Representative and Senators to sign the letter.

FULL TEXT OF CONGRESSIONAL LETTER:
Dear President Obama:
Your military advisors will soon be providing you with a set of military options in Afghanistan. We are writing to urge you to pursue a strategy in Afghanistan that best serves the interests of the American people and our brave troops on the ground. That strategy is simple: an accelerated withdrawal to bring to an end the decade-long war as soon as can safely and responsibly be accomplished.
After 10 years and almost $600 billion spent, over 2,000 American lives lost, and 18,000 wounded - it is time to accelerate the transition to full Afghan control. While NATO and Afghan National Security Forces have made considerable strides, no military strategy exists and morale has been undermined by the proliferation of “Green on Blue” attacks. Sixty coalition soldiers have been killed this year alone by their Afghan allies. To quote a former Commandant of the Marine Corps, “When our friends turn out to be our enemy, it is time to pull the plug.”
This is one issue that overwhelmingly unifies Americans: the desire to bring the war in Afghanistan to an accelerated close. Polls show over two-thirds of Americans, on a bipartisan basis, believe it is past time to end our combat role and bring the troops home.
We write to request that you respond to the consensus amongst military experts, diplomats, and the American people. It is time to announce an accelerated transition of security responsibility to the Afghan government and to bring our troops home as soon as can be safely and responsibly accomplished.
Al Qaeda’s presence has been greatly diminished and Osama bin Laden is no longer a threat to the United States. There can be no military solution in Afghanistan. It is past time for the United States to allow the Afghanistan government to assume responsibility for its own security.
While many of us would prefer an immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan starting today, there is broad recognition that the primary objectives have been completed. We also would like to remind you that any long term security agreement committing U.S. troops to the defense of Afghanistan must have congressional approval to be binding. In addition, we would like to request a meeting to discuss these issues directly with you and your staff.
We look forward to working with you.

UPDATE: Here's the letter and signatures: PDF.