Widespread corruption threatens the president ial and the provincial elections that are set for next april. Free and Fair Elections are essential to establishing a stable government. A repeat of the widespread Election Fraud that we saw in 2009 would undermine afghans faith in their government, setting back the country. Corruption hinders afghanistans economy. The Mining Sector could tap the posits of Industrial Metals by attracting foreign investment, but that will not happen with the corruption in afghanistan. On the security front, pakistans military and Security Service continues to complicate matters by supporting the taliban. They are a double dealer. They undermine our primary objective of bringing afghanistan under the troll of a democratically elected government. Iran continues to support the taliban and using the Banking System to circumvent sanctions. Just yesterday, it was announced president karzai had agreed to a longterm friendship and cooperation pact with iran. We need to counter this because our troops continue to be targeted. They will determine their future, not us. We can help them develop a stable and democratic government, one respectful of recognized human rights. That is what most afghans want it is in our interest, and is what our sacrifices demand we strive for. I will turn to ted deutch for any Opening Statement he might want to make. Thank you for the panel for being with us today. We went to afghanistan with the goal of rooting out al qaeda and with the work and service of our nations finest and bravest citizens, together with, it bears noting, the service and commitment of 48 of our allies and their greatest citizens, we have made tremendous gains. There have been gains in womens rights, education, and maternal and child health. 12 years later, we still have 47,000 troops in afghanistan with the potential for thousands more to remain for many years. I am concerned that president karzai is blustering over whether he will sign the bilateral Security Agreement risk of destabilizing afghanistan by destabilizing the security situation even further. It was the safety of u. S. Personnel and afghans in jeopardy. I hope he understands he is risking afghanistans future by playing this game on the bilateral Security Agreement. If he is committed to a partnership, he should cut that the actors. That includes the move to negotiate a security pact with iran. He should sign the agreement. The patience of the congress and American People is wearing thin. It is possible afghanistan will become a safe haven for al qaeda. I know continuing to achieve strategic gains is not going to be easy, but i fear that the potential of undoing these gains is far greater for u. S. And regional security. I look forward to discussing with our witnesses today. Our chairman, ileana ros lehtinen. Thank you very much. We held two hearings this year that examine this issue. The transition in afghanistan and the way forward for u. S. Afghanistan, and pakistan. I lead a delegation to cobble this weekend with mr. Kennedy and dr. Barra. We had the honor to meet with our men and women that serve our country in afghanistan. They do a tremendous job day in and day out. While in afghanistan, we had the opportunity to speak with mr. Karzai and it seemed like he was preoptimistic about the final Security Agreement. He was looking forward to its completion, now, however, he is balking at signing the agreement. It is grand council endorsed. As recently at this last weekend, he has lashed out at the u. S. And accused us of threatening him. Karzais flirting with iran is dangerous to our security interest. We are complex and concerned. We are pleased to be joined by representatives of the u. S. Department of state, the agency for international development, and the department of defense. Ambassador james dobson serves as the representative for afghanistan and pakistan. He has filled a number of senior positions at the state department and white house. We also have michael dumont. He is the Deputy Assistant secretary for the secretary of defense. Prior to joining the office of the secretary of defense, he served as the federal prosecutor in the Criminal Division of the u. S. Department of justice and managed the Justice Department programs in iraq. Larry sampler, he currently serves as the assistant to the administrator. He has previously worked at the u. S. Department of state. Welcome. Without objection, your statements will be made part of the record. Were going to ask you each to summarize in five minutes your statements. Members here are going to have five days to submit statements and questions for the record that you might be asked to respond to. Ambassador dobbins, we will begin with you. Thank you mr. Chairman. Let me concentrate on what i think is the most topical and immediately important aspect of our situation in afghanistan which is the fate of the bilateral of greed meant and the prospects for longer term american commitment. As i think you know, president karzai called grand council to discuss the draft bilateral Security Agreement which we and he had concluded. This involved 2500 of that guinness cans influential citizens from throughout the country. After three days of debate, it was endorsed as written and urged karzai to sign it before the end of the year. This decision underscores the clear and strong desire of the Afghan People to continue their partnership with the United States and the International Community. Dei states agrees with the Afghan People. Signing the bsa will send an important signal to the people of afghanistan to the taliban and, to our allies and partners into the region. For the Afghan People, it will reduce anxiety and uncertainty about the future. Allowing them to concentrate on the Upcoming Elections and to invest with confidence in their own economy. The taliban on may think that the end of 2014 may mean the end of International Support and that their only path to pieces by ending violence and accepting the constitution. Assigned to bsa will ensure the region that the United States will remain in gauged and will not abandon afghanistan as we once did in 1989 after the soviet withdrawal. To our nato allies and other international partners, a sign bsa will open the door for nato to begin negotiations of its own status of forces agreement. For all of these reasons, the administration is committed to expedited peer delay would add another element of uncertainty as afghanistan prepares for the april 2014 president ial elections. For the United States and our nato allies, delay means a lack of clarity needed to plan for the post2014 military presence. That would jeopardize fulfillment of the pledges of assistance that nato and other countries and made in chicago and tokyo in 2012. As ambassador rice made clear during her recent visit to cobble, although it is not our preference, without a prompt signature, we will not have a choice but to initiate planning for 2014 in which there would be no u. S. Or nato troops. Lans are not decisions. We are not about to decide to abandon all we and the Afghan People have achieved over the past 12 years. Based on the results of the expressions throughout the country and discussions during my own visit to kabul, i dont believe there can be doubt that the Afghan People want american and nato forces to stay and recognize that the bilateral Security Agreement is a necessary prerequisite. The agreement is also the keystone of a much wider International Commitment involving over seven countries ready to provide economic and Security Assistance to afghanistan and beyond 2015 i understand president putin of russia and others have urged president karzai to conclude the bilateral Security Agreement. Several of these leaders are no fans of the military presence in central asia, but all of them seem to recognize that without a continued International Military and economic support afghanistan risks falling back into civil war. With the rise in extremist groups, outflow of refugees and instructions in commerce that would threaten the region as a whole. Given this opinion, i see little chance that the agreement will not eventually be concluded. Awaiting the arrival of the next afghan president to do so, will impose large and unnecessary costs on the app and people. Already the exide because by president karzais refusal to heed the advice is having that effect. I learned from the world bank and other sources that the afghan currency is slipping in value. Inflation is increasing. Capital is fleeing. Property values are dropping. Perhaps for the First Time Since 2001 the outflow of population exceeds the return of refugees. The longer this uncertainty about the future International Commitment to afghanistan continues, the more anxiety among the population will increase. Potentially dominating the upcoming president ial elections, threatening to turn these into a polarizing rather than a unifying experience for the country. Prolonged uncertainty over the bilateral Security Agreement will erode International Support for afghanistan. In tokyo and chicago in 2012 the International Community pledged billions of dollars to support the Afghan Security forces and the afghan economy beyond 2014. Fulfillment of these pledges is dependent on public support and parliamentarian approval. Prolonged delay can only diminish the prospect that these pledges will be fully met. In some, mr. Chairman, i continue to believe that the Security Agreement will be concluded, but i am seriously dismayed at the cost to the Afghan People, that delay, that significant further delay will cause. Thank you. Thank you, ambassador. Well go to mr. Dumont next. Chairman royce, members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the upcoming year of transition in afghanistan. Before turning our attention move the mic a little closer. Before turning our attention to the upcoming year, i would like to review the status of the security transition. In june, the afghans reached a decisive milestone unassumingly responsibility for security countrywide. This milestone signaled the shift in the international Security Assistance force as primary mission from combat to training, advising and assisting the Afghan Security forces. The nsf are now successfully providing security for the people of afghanistan. This past summer fighting season was the first time that both clans and executed with the afghans wholly in the lead. The nsf proved to be capable and resilient, conducting all combat operations across afghanistan while taking the majority of the casualties. They successfully held the security gains in recent years and the insurgency failed to achieve his stated objective. They have an creasing lay maintain the gains made by a coalition of 49 nations. That is a significant accomplishment. The dod will focus on the key areas of support for a Successful Transition in afghanistan, continuation of the train, advise and assist mission, to develop the nsf into a sustainable force, and the drawdown and realignment of u. S. Forces for a post2014 train and assist mission. The mission will continue to emphasize developing nsf capabilities to conduct high Level Planning and execution operations. Assistance will continue to be focused on organizing, training and sustaining the nsf. This will include acquisition contracting, strategy and policy development, Human Resources management, and financial and Human Resource management. He nsf can be a guerin tour for afghanistan, but not without progress toward developing a professional force. We will focus on improving accountability and increasing funding of the nsf. Coalition forces are working with the afghans to finish up implementing Automated Systems that will increase accountability in the areas of pay, logistics, Human Resources and financial management. Theyre also focused on developing expertise necessary in the Afghan Security ministries to plan and budget transactions to sustain the nsf. Although the combat leadership shift demonstrates a first and foremost the capability and resolve of the Afghan Security forces to secure their nation, and enables the United States and other partners to reduce our forces. As president obama announced in february 2013, the u. S. Will reduce its force level to 34,000. They will do that by february 12, 2014. This will be maintained through the election period. This progression will enable effective assistance of Coalition Forces drawdown and allow for a smooth transition of the nsf to opt rate with reduced coalition support. The nsf will exercise greater economy and leadership of Security Operations while having access to support as required and as available. While the process is underway, nato will bring the isaf mission to a close. The mission for u. S. Forces in afghanistan is shifting to a continued Counterterrorism Mission against al qaeda and its affiliates. As the president has made clear, the United States must secure an agreement that protects u. S. Troops and must have an invitation to fulfill the promise of the post2014 partnership discussed at the 2012 chicago nato summit. We are prepared to sign in remote. Concluding the bsa promptly would be an important signal to the people of afghanistan, the taliban and and our allies. After more than decade of dedication, our Coalition Partners and the Afghan People we have seen remarkable turnaround in afghanistan. The people have greater economic opportunity, access to health care, education, and freedoms it and individual rights. Thank you for continuing to support the mission in afghanistan. I look forward to answering your questions. Thank you. Chairman royce, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to testify before you today. I have been working on and in afghanistan in both civilian and military role since 2002. In addition to having worked with the afghan emergency i have served as chief of staff in afghanistan. After the fall of the taliban, i saw firsthand and afghanistan that have been devastated by decades of conflict. Afghanistan improved its score in the index by more than 60 , more than any country. Changes of this magnitude are not made overnight. Especially in such a deeply traditional society. The results are significant, but fragile. In 2002, there were only 900,000 afghan children in school. Virtually none of them were girls. Today, there are nearly 8 million children in school and more than one third of them are girls. Life expectancy has increased from 42 years to over 62 years. Child mortality has decreased by almost 50 . In 2002, only six percent of afghans had access to electricity. Today, the number is 18 . In 2000 two, there were very few fixed telephone lines and making a telephone call out of afghanistan required a satellite telephone. Today, the combined phone networks in afghanistan cover 90 of the population and 85 of women in afghanistan have access to a cell phone. Today there are over 3000 women owned businesses and associations. 20 of afghans enrolled in Higher Education are now women. Women are participants in the afghan political process. As we enter the transition period, the strategies are threefold. Maintain and make durable the gains in health, education and the empowerment of women. Second, mitigate the Economic Impact of the military drawdown and finally to foster improved stability by supporting legitimate and effective afghan governments to include the 2014 elections. Theres a high priority and ensuring taxpayer funds are used wisely. While many issues are unique to that country, monitoring projects in challenging environments is nothing that our agency does well around the world. In designing the monitoring strategy, we are incorporating Lessons Learned in places like colombia, pakistan, and south sudan. I will know that these programs have been reviewed in six separate Inspector General reports as well as through reports by the Government Accountability office. External audits provide oversight and discipline for our work and reinforce our efforts to ensure tax dollars are used effectively. There are over 100 audits going on of usaid programs afghanistan. The bottom line is that usaid will terminate programs if they see we are not producing development results. With regards to the elections, a cred