Cory Gardner: Avoid Iraq mistake in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — Fresh from an eight-day, six-country tour that included hot spots throughout the Middle East, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner said Monday that it was imperative that American leaders avoid repeating in Afghanistan many of the mistakes that were made when the U.S. military left Iraq.

Specifically, the Colorado Republican applauded as "wise" the recent White House decision to slow the drawdown of troops and advisers from Afghanistan, and he urged a continued U.S. presence.

"What I don't want to see happening is a collapse of Afghanistan like we saw with Iraq," said Gardner, pointing to the violent rise of the Islamic State. "We have to make sure we can get the Afghanis to a point to where they can defend themselves."  Read More

Cory Gardner: Avoid Iraq mistake in Afghanistan