WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy attacked U.S. policy in Afghanistan as "shameful'' Thursday and excoriated the national press as "despicable'' for what he portrayed as its "cynicism'' and its insufficient coverage of the issue.
VIDEO
Watch C-SPAN video of Kennedy's speech
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Raising his voice in a House floor speech on a resolution to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, the Rhode Island Democrat said American troops should not be fighting in Afghanistan. ``What is shameful is our policy that puts them in harm's way when they don't need to be,'' Kennedy said.
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, offered the resolution, which would require President Obama, under certain conditions, to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan within 30 days of the enactment of the measure.
But the Obama administration, which has twice increased U.S. force levels in Afghanistan, opposes the troop withdrawal measure. The administration aims to begin troop withdrawals in about 16 months.
The Afghanistan policy is ``not about national security,'' Kennedy said. The eight-term House veteran has opted not to run for reelection this year. Kennedy voted for the 2002 resolution that approved of giving then-President George W. Bush authorization to invade Iraq. But he later turned sharply against that war and against the increasing troop levels in Afghanistan.
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