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Congressman Calls for End of Military Presence in Iraq, Afghanistan
(IRN) -- An Illinois congressman wants U.S. forces out of Afghanistan and Iraq.

U.S. Rep. Timothy V. Johnson (R-Urbana) says there is no benefit to U.S. involvement in these countries -- in Iraq since 2003, and in Afghanistan since 2001, making it the longest was in U.S. history. "We are not one iota safer," Johnson says of the wars, which are ostensibly being fought to prevent terrorism. "We are over $1 trillion more in the red, not to mention the extraordinary loss of civilian lives and the loss of American service men and women, in a cause that simply can’t be defined and therefore can’t be won."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are now looking at 2014 to get out. Johnson signed onto a letter asking President Obama to stick to his intention to withdraw by 2012.

Though combat operations have officially ended in Iraq, the U.S. still has 50,000 troops there, and close to 100,000 in Afghanistan. The U.S. military has sustained the death of 5,800 troops in these endeavors. Johnson says there has to be a better way to fight terrorism.

(Illinois Radio Network)
11 21 10 by Newsroom
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