As Afghan War Enters 9th Year, Rep. Barbara Lee -- Seeks to Block New Troop Surge

On October 7th, 2001, US submarines launched cruise missiles from the Arabian Sea and B52 and B2 stealth bombers began air strikes. The war was on. It came less than a month after 9/11. The Pentagon called it Operation Enduring Freedom. Since then, 900 US troops have been killed, 230 of them in this year alone, putting 2009 on track to be the deadliest year so far for US forces. There is no reliable count on the number of Afghan civilians killed but some estimates put the figures in the tens of thousands.

Today, the war enters its ninth year with no clear end in sight. On Tuesday, President Barack Obama told Congressional leaders he has ruled out a US troop withdrawal and will not consider cutting troop levels. The president was meeting with 30 key Republican and Democratic lawmakers at the White House as part of an extensive review of the war.

Obama escalated the war upon entering office earlier this year, sending an additional 21,000 troops which brings the US total to 68,000. He is expected to decide soon on whether to send tens of thousands more, as requested by US commander, General Stanley McChrystal.

But some on Capitol Hill are trying to prevent another surge. Democratic Congressmember Barbara Lee has introduced legislation to prohibit funding to send more troops to Afghanistan. The bill has twenty-one co-sponsors. In 2001, Congressmember Lee was the only lawmaker in either chamber of Congress to vote against the 2001 resolution authorizing the use of force in Afghanistan. Congressmember Lee will join us live from Capitol Hill in a moment, but first we want to turn back to her impassioned speech opposing the war. This is what she said on the floor of the House on September 14th, 2001, three days after the 9/11 attacks.

Congressmember Barabara Lee, speaking on the House floor on September 14th 2001.

Congressmember Lee joins us now from Capitol Hill.

Rep. Barbara Lee, the only lawmaker in either chamber of Congress to vote against the 2001 resolution authorizing the use of force in Afghanistan. She has introduced legislation to prohibit funding for another surge in Afghanistan.

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