Sec. 1217. Sense of Congress on United States military commitment to Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan
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/bill/113/hr/4435/rh/section-1217·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— the United States continues to have vital national security interests in ensuring that Afghanistan remains a stable, sovereign country and that groups like Al Qaeda, the Haqqani Network, and the Quetta Shura Taliban are not able to use Afghanistan as a safe haven from which to launch attacks; the United States should have a residual presence in Afghanistan to train, advise, and assist the ANSF, conduct counterterrorism operations, and support force protection requirements in order to maintain the gains achieved in Afghanistan; it is in the interests of both the United States and Afghanistan to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement as soon as practicable after the new President of Afghanistan is sworn in; the United States should provide financial, advisory, and other necessary support to the ANSF, at the authorized end-strength of 352,000 personnel, through 2018; the train, advise, and assist mission, following the end of the NATO mission on December 31, 2014, should be able to assist the ANSF in all parts of Afghanistan; uncertainty with the signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement with Afghanistan is threatening the gains achieved by the United States and coalition forces and the United States’ enduring vital national security interests in Afghanistan and the region; the President should announce the United States residual presence for Operation Resolute Support to reassure the people of Afghanistan and to provide a tangible statement of support for the future of Afghanistan; the United States should aggressively work with NATO and the Government of Afghanistan to achieve a status of forces agreement for NATO forces in support of the post-2014 mission; and NATO member countries pledged their support and long-term commitment to Afghanistan at the Lisbon, Chicago, and Tokyo conferences and should honor their commitments to Afghanistan and the ANSF.