WASHINGTON - The US House of Representative on Friday voted to end the war in Afghanistan and passed a resolution which said that the Congressmen would have a chance to vote for any troop presence in Afghanistan after 2014.

The amendment in this regard moved by Congressman Jim McGovern was passed by the House of Representative by 305 to 121 votes. “It is time to end the war in Afghanistan, bring our troops home,” the Congressman said.

“I am pleased that Democrats and Republicans were able to come together to adopt an amendment by Rep. Jim McGovern that calls on the Administration to proceed with a responsible timetable to remove US troops from Afghanistan, and also states that we should have a chance to vote on any troop presence after 2014,” the House Democratic Whip Steny H Hoyer (MD), said after the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014.

Meanwhile the Senate Armed Services Committee passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 which authorizes the budget request of $7.7 billion for the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund. This includes funding to build logistical, airlift, intelligence and other key enablers for the Afghan security forces to take over security throughout Afghanistan by December 2014.

It authorizes the use of Pentagon funds to support a program to reintegrate former Taliban fighters into Afghanistan society. It also authorizes up to $250 million, a reduction of $29 million from the budget request, to support the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund, which supports electrification, irrigation, road, and other large-scale infrastructure projects that support the counterinsurgency campaign and help protect our troops. (Pajhwok)