US Congressman Stopped from Entering Afghanistan - East Idaho News
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US Congressman Stopped from Entering Afghanistan

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GETTY W 122911 AfghanMap?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1335261729142iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — California Republican Dana Rohrabacher got the equivalent of the bums rush when he tried to enter Afghanistan last weekend from Dubai with a congressional delegation.  In short, Rohrabacher was told he would not be permitted to join the rest of his colleagues on their fact-finding trip.

It’s well known that Rohrabacher is highly suspect of Afghanistan’s leadership, particularly President Hamid Karzai.  Rohrabacher, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight, looked into claims last month that Karzai allegedly used U.S. aid for his personal use.

Spurned by the Afghan government, the congressman said he received a call from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, asking that he not create a stir, but that he also remain in the region.  Rohrabacher said he understood Clinton’s concerns given the recent fragile nature of relations between Washington and Afghanistan.

Still, Rohrabacher told reporters in Qatar Monday, “I feel like the powers that be may think I am more important than I really am.  Holy cow, if Mr. Karzai think his problems stem from what I am saying rather than what he is doing, he is giving me more credit than I deserve.”

Nonetheless, it’s Rohrabacher’s opinion that it’s time for the U.S. to fish or cut bait with Afghanistan, saying, “I don’t think that we should waste the life of any more American troops in trying to solve the problems of Afghanistan.  We are not going to restructure the country and we shouldn’t try.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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