Army Lt. Gen. Austin S. Miller, the nominee to assume command of NATO forces in Afghanistan, told lawmakers that a continued military presence ultimately will set the stage for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
“I’ve learned a lot the last 17 years,” Miller told the Senate Armed Services Committee during a May 20 hearing, as reported by the Association of the U.S. Army on its web site. “I’ve learned there are groups who want nothing more than to harm Americans. I’ve learned these groups thrive in ungoverned spaces, and I’ve also learned when we maintain pressure on them abroad, they struggle to organize and build the necessary means to attack us.”
Miller also believes that an early withdrawal would serve only to embolden al-Qaida and Taliban militants, to the detriment of U.S. interests, AUSA reported.
The Senate will vote whether to confirm Miller soon. He would succeed outgoing Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr.
