Our mission in Afghanistan is clear: First, disarm and dismantle al Qaeda in the region so that they can never again attack our homeland from a safe haven in Afghanistan. Second, disable Taliban fighters so that they can no longer threaten the stability
of the Afghan government and the Pakistani government, with its cache of nuclear weapons.
America's courageous men and women in uniform have made remarkable progress toward completing this mission in Afghanistan.
Too often Washington politicians have made it harder for them to get the job done. Dangerously, Bob Menendez supported announcing a timetable for withdrawal, which only emboldens our enemies and encourages them to hold out until our exit.
We all want our troops to come home, but decisions about withdrawal from Afghanistan should be made on the basis of conditions on the ground as assessed by our military leadership. When the mission is complete, we will bring the troops home.
Cannot allow Iran to hold the world hostage with nuke
Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. A nuclear Iran would pose an immediate and existential threat to the state of Israel. It would pose a similar threat to U.S. military installations in the Middle East. It would trigger a dangerous arms race in an
already unstable region. And as Iranian weapons technology improved, a nuclear Iran could threaten the security of Europe and even the United States. We cannot and will not allow a terrorist state to hold the world hostage with nuclear weapons.
As
Senator, Joe Kyrillos will insist that we make clear to Iran's leaders that a military option to deal with their nuclear program remains on the table. And Joe is prepared to vote to authorize such action if the need arises.
In the short term, Joe will
push for a fifth round of tougher sanctions to bring Iran to the negotiating table; increased enforcement of existing restrictions on trade with Iran; and further diplomatic isolation, until this state-sponsor of terror gives up its nuclear ambitions.