Wisconsin Congressman Ron Kind says he was encouraged by recent elections in Iraq, praising them for being virtually free of violence and accepted by the people. However, Kind says we need to refocus on the other war in the region, which has taken a back seat during the past seven years. He says Afghanistan has seen a resurgence of Taliban and Al Qaeda influence in that time.
Kind, who recently returned from Afghanistan, says it's going to be tough. However, the goal must be to have no safe havens for Al Qaeda on the Afghan-Pakistani border. Kind adds a regional approach is required, as well as more international help.
At the same time, Kind says we need to start actually planning to pay for the wars. He says the government needs to stop deficit spending and include these operations in the federal budget. Kind says the increased national deficit, as a result of how the wars have been funded, has made it more difficult to respond to the country's current recession.
AUDIO: John Helgeson reports (MP3 1:19)
