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For Immediate Release: July 26, 2010

Skelton Statement on WikiLeaks

Washington, D.C.—Today, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) released the statement below regarding the release of classified documents posted on the website
WikiLeaks:  “I am extremely concerned about the manner in which these documents were leaked and with the recklessness of WikiLeaks in posting them. Our nation’s secrets are classified for a reason, and the release of classified documents could put our national security—and the lives of our men and women in combat—at serious risk.

“These leaked documents, while troubling, appear to support what I was asserting for years: the war in Afghanistan was not going well, and we needed a real strategy for success. For nearly a  decade under the previous administration, our brave war fighters were under-resourced and lacked the direction of a clear strategy. Under the new counterinsurgency strategy implemented earlier this year, we now have the pieces in place to turn things around. These leaked reports pre-date our new strategy in Afghanistan and should not be used as a measure of success or a determining factor in our continued mission there.

“Additionally, some of these documents implicate Pakistan in aiding the Taliban and fueling the insurgency in Afghanistan. It is critical that we not use outdated reports to paint a picture of the cooperation of Pakistan in our efforts in Afghanistan. Since these reports were issued, Pakistan has significantly stepped up its fight against the Taliban, including efforts that led to the capture of the highest ranking member of the Taliban since the start of the war. The Pakistani military has also been in combat for more than a year against its country’s own Taliban, which is aligned with al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban attacking American forces and our NATO allies. While we still have concerns about Pakistan’s efforts against the Afghan Taliban, there is no doubt that there have been significant improvements in its overall effort.”

Army Reserve Association

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   On Tuesday (25 May 2010) all four uniformed service chiefs-Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, and  Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey-wrote separate letters imploring Congress to defer any legislation to repeal the 1993 Don't ask don't tell law until the Defense Department completes its review. 

Editors note: ARA continues to fax our position to each member of the HASC and we encourage all to call and let your Senator and Congressional Representative know how you feel about this critical issue.  You can also call the U.S. Capital Switchboard at 1-202-224-3121 and ask to speak with them.
Read a detailed story on DADT on our Webpage "U.S. Congress".

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