Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan – the longest war in American history. In a Sacramento Bee op-ed, Congressman Garamendi calls for an exit strategy, believing it’s time we bring home the troops and bring back the jobs. Congressman Garamendi has been the most consistent voice against war on the House Armed Services Committee and is doing all he can to fight for an expedient withdrawal from Afghanistan. The complete op-ed is available here, Excerpts are below:

"We entered this war because of the threat posed by the international terrorist organization al-Qaida. While al-Qaida expands its operations around the globe, our military is tied up in a ground war against the Taliban, an Afghan rebel group with domestic ambitions.

"Senior intelligence officials have estimated that fewer than 100 al-Qaida members remain in Afghanistan, yet we plan to keep 68,000 U.S. troops there through next year.

"If we are to defeat terrorism, we must stick to our original strategic mission, maintaining a laser-like focus on al-Qaida, and capitalizing on our technological and intelligence advantage to cut off their financing, intersect their operations, and take out their leaders. The successful operation against Osama bin Laden epitomizes this targeted approach. …

"The burden of this war is largely borne by a relatively small number of dedicated service members and their families, including thousands of people I represent in Congress. Many of our troops on the ground in Afghanistan are on their third or fourth tour. These heroes have served with valor and distinction, and they deserve the ability to return home to their families.

"The human costs of this war are immeasurable when we consider the circles of grief that surround each of the more than 10,000 Americans who have been killed or wounded. Our forces are overstretched, and our bank account is overdrawn; we need a definitive end date for our nation's longest war."