Kevin Bishop (864) 250-1417 or Lorcan Connick (202) 224-5972

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and John McCain (R-Arizona) today released the following statement on President Ashraf Ghani and the new Afghan government for signing the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), and the need for President Obama to commit to a conditions-based drawdown and a residual force in Afghanistan:

"We commend President Ashraf Ghani and the new Afghan government for signing the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA). This important agreement will enable U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond this year. However, the BSA alone will not guarantee the security of either Afghanistan or America. That requires President Obama to revise his plan for an unconditional withdrawal from Afghanistan. We are already experiencing the dangerous consequences of the president's unconditional withdrawal from Iraq, and we cannot afford to make the same mistake in Afghanistan. We urge President Obama to commit to a conditions-based drawdown in Afghanistan and an enduring U.S. presence to further our counterterrorism mission and continue advising and assisting Afghan security forces. Failure to do so would endanger U.S. national security and risk squandering the hard-earned gains made possible by the sacrifice of so many brave young Americans."

###