Speeches

Oral Statement of William B. Wood Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

I am grateful to the Senate for having confirmed me to be ambassador to Colombia and I am honored to appear before you again as President Bush's nominee to be ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

The U.S. has been closely involved in Afghanistan since 2001, and rightly, since the Taliban regime served as the launching pad for Al-Queda's savage attack on our cities that year. Afghanistan is struggling to find its way to the path of responsive popular government and economic development that was interrupted in 1978 by a coup, then by invasion, and then by internal strife.

In Afghanistan, the U.S. is pursuing a comprehensive solution that combines the "push" of security and law enforcement, with the "pull" of economic opportunity, humanitarian aid, and peaceful re-integration. Since 2001 the U.S. has provided $14.2 billion in assistance, of which $9.0 billion was to train and equip Afghan security and police forces, and $5.2 billion for reconstruction. If confirmed, my job would be to support every aspect of this comprehensive strategy.

That assistance already has produced an impressive record of accomplishment. In the words of Assistant Secretary of State Boucher in Berlin last month: "...compared to last year and previous years, this year there is more army, more police, more government, more roads, more development, more economic opportunity, more legitimate economy, and more pressure on the Taliban from all sides, including Pakistan."

Now the Administration is seeking assistance of $10.6 billion over two years, of which $8.6 billion is for police and security assistance and $2.0 billion for reconstruction and other economic aid. The major categories of our economic and reconstruction assistance include: economic growth, democracy and governance, roads and electricity, health and education, and food aid. Special programs are aimed at the south, traditionally the poorest region of Afghanistan and a center for opium poppy cultivation and insurgent activity.

An estimated one-third of the Afghan economy is based on the heroin trade. That share is declining steadily as legitimate economic activity grows faster. But poppy cultivation is well defended by those who profit from it, including the supposedly spiritual Taliban. Techniques to fight the drug trade differ from country to country. But continuation of the violence and corruption of the drug trade feeds the Taliban and puts a low ceiling on everything the Afghans and their friends can hope to accomplish. My job would be to try to forge a consensus both inside and outside Afghanistan about how to end the drug trade, and then make it work.

One challenge is the probability of increased violence in the spring by the Taliban, as there has been for the last several years. Although the Taliban probably poses no strategic threat to the Government of Afghanistan at this time, it is important that the Afghan Government, local leaders, internal security forces, and ISAF forces prepare for such attacks. I would consider it a critical part of my job to support them however possible.

These are impressive challenges, worthy of our best efforts. For my part, I bring 30 years of experience in the Foreign Service to the task. In my current assignment, I have led one of our largest embassies in the world -- with more than 2200 personnel and 40 offices and agencies -- in an environment of terrorism and narcotics trafficking. I am enormously proud of the work of the embassy team over the last few years, and of the accomplishments of our partnership with the government of President Uribe.

In this regard, I would like to note that two days ago, February 13, marked the fourth anniversary of the capture by the FARC terror organization of Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Thomas Howes. They are America's longest-held hostages. In the embassy we think about them every day, as we think about their families. Their safe return is not just a matter of policy for us; it is personal. We are grateful for the splendid cooperation of the Uribe government in the matter. And we hold the FARC responsible for their well-being and immediate safe return.

Although the issues and solutions are different in Afghanistan, I would hope to bring to my new assignment the same focus on mission, on teamwork within the embassy and with our military colleagues, on international cooperation, and on partnership with the government of President Karzai.

Finally, I would like to renew the promise I made in my confirmation hearings in 2003: to embrace a full dialogue with this committee and with the Congress as a whole, to answer your questions fully and honestly, to welcome your visits, and above all to cooperate to achieve our common goals in Afghanistan.

Thank you.

Washington, DC
February 15, 2007