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209 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Suite
700
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tele: (202) 543-1177 Fax: (202) 543-7931
The
Honorable Don Ritter, Sc.D., Chairman
Member of Congress
1979-1993
Contact:
The Hon. Don Ritter
(202) 543-1177
Washington, D.C., June 12, 1998 -- Former U.S. Congressman Don Ritter (R-PA, 1979-93), founder and Co-Chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Afghanistan, and Chairman of the Afghanistan Foundation, has recently returned to the United States with a five member research team after traveling internationally to probe the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and its impact globally. Today, on Capitol Hill, Ritter heralded the mission’s success and announced the launching of a major project that will develop a seminal White Paper regarding U.S. policy toward Afghanistan, as well as issues involving the vital regions of Central and South Asia.
"The Afghanistan Foundation’s five member research team mission visited five regional countries while focusing on the problems in the north and south of Afghanistan," stated Ritter. According to Ritter: "The results far exceeded expectations. Despite difficult obstacles faced by the ongoing civil war and earthquakes, as well as the nuclear tests in Pakistan, we met with senior officials from various parties to the conflict including the Taliban, the Northern Alliance, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Russia. Our Foundation’s modus operandi, to seek common ground, was welcomed by participants on all sides of the conflict. People are tired of war."
"The goal of the research mission and the forthcoming White Paper is to create a vehicle for communication of vital information, analysis and policy ideas to the Congress and Administration in an effort to further the U.S. capacity to engage proactively on Afghanistan as well as related South and Central Asian issues," stated Ritter. The policy paper will include recommendations regarding Afghanistan and the region for policymakers in the United Nations, White House, State Department, Department of Defense, Agency for International Development and Congress. The paper will also be circulated to the international media.
The White Paper Task Force developing the policy paper includes prominent scholars and specialists on Afghanistan and the region, as well as a bipartisan group of key Members of Congress. These include: Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad, RAND Corp.; Dr. Tom Gouttierre, Director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies, University of Nebraska; Dr. Elie Krakowski, President, EDK, and former Department of Defense official; Dr. Fred Starr, Chairman, Central Asia Institute, SAIS, Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Tom Eighmy, former Afghanistan AID official; Senator Orin Hatch (R-UT), Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; Senator Bob Kerrey (D-NE), Select Committee on Intelligence; Rep. Doug Bereuter (R-NE), Chairman, Subcommittee on Asia, House International Relations Committee; and Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), House International Relations Committee.
According to Ritter: "For one, we have a deeply moral and historical obligation to Afghanistan given its critical role in helping to end the Cold War. America needs to play a new and expanded leadership role to help solve the problem of Afghanistan for vital U.S. national interests as well as to forge new partnerships between old foes and new friends. The United States must generate a partnership among Russia, Pakistan, Iran and the new Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Working together toward a peaceful and stable Afghanistan gives the United States an important opportunity to work on common issues of concern to these nations including counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, refugees as well as Central Asian economic and energy development."
"It will be important to establish new venues for communication with Iran given the powerful role that it is playing in the North of Afghanistan," Ritter stated.
The Afghanistan Foundation is a non-profit organization, based in Washington, D.C., that seeks to raise the level of awareness, understanding and action on issues related to Afghanistan in U.S. policymaking circles. The Foundation is a partnership between Afghans and Americans with strong ties to Members in the U.S. Congress and policymaking community who have, over the years, worked to assist the people of Afghanistan on military, humanitarian, refugee and other aid issues.
"Currently, the Afghanistan Foundation is also vigorously involved in an effort to press the White House and Congress to play a more active and upgraded role in helping the suffering Afghans who have survived recent earthquakes," stated Ritter, saying that he has worked with Congressional leaders on this important humanitarian issue.
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