LI pols: Leak raises questions about Afghanistan war

Members of Long Island's congressional delegation Monday reacted critically to the leak of classified field reports detailing the war in Afghanistan, and some said the information contained in the reports raised troubling questions about how the war is being prosecuted.

"While I do not approve of how this information came to light, the war diaries raise very serious and disturbing questions about the war in Afghanistan," said Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton).

Members of the delegation reacted to the leak of 92,000 field reports written by U.S. troops on the ground, which were obtained by WikiLeaks.org. The website, founded three years ago to fight what it considers unwarranted government secrecy, gave the reports to The New York Times, along with a newspaper in England and a magazine in Germany.

The reports raise questions about whether current and former Pakistani spy officials have been collaborating with Taliban attacks on U.S. forces, and whether the administration of President Barack Obama has accurately portrayed the war to the American public.

"For many of us who have questioned Pakistan's reliability as an ally, this confirms some of our worst fears," Bishop said in an e-mail to a Newsday reporter. "The bottom line is our troops deserve better than to fight on behalf of a corrupt regime or endure a war with no exit strategy or definition of victory."

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in an interview that he was alarmed by indications in the leaked documents that Pakistani intelligence officials are helping the Taliban.

"This is almost a smoking gun," Schumer said. "This should be a wake-up call. Pakistan has to come clean."

In a statement, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said she found the documents "troubling," and added: "The administration should use this as an opportunity to talk to the American people about the war in Afghanistan and American strategy in the region."

The leak comes at a time when support for the war is showing signs of eroding in Congress. It also comes on the heels of the ouster of the former U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal.

Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), dismissed the significance of the leaked documents, and said his belief in U.S. war policy in Afghanistan remains firm.

"These are very selective reports and I wouldn't want to base too much on them," King said. "I would hope people would not use this report to begin pulling out of Afghanistan."

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) downplayed the reports' significance, saying they reflect the war before a revision of strategy imposed last year by the Obama administration.

America's military leaders are hoping to win the war in Afghanistan based on a strategy of protecting civilians from violence so that civil order can displace the insurgency.

But indications in the report of civilian deaths under different circumstances led Rep. Steven Israel (D-Huntington), to say the war strategy articulated by the U.S. command was not being fully embraced by soldiers on the battleground.