To commend the Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

This amendment's own text couldn't be picked out of its Congressional Record passage, so the passage is shown in full.

SA 3243. Mr. LEVIN (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Chambliss, Mr.
Lugar, Mr. Lieberman, and Mr. Kerry) submitted an amendment intended to
be proposed by him to the bill S. 3254, to authorize appropriations for
fiscal year 2013 for military activities of the Department of Defense,
for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department
of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal
year, and for other purposes; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle B of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1221. SENSE OF CONGRESS COMMENDING THE ENDURING
                   STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
                   UNITED STATES AND AFGHANISTAN.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The United States and Afghanistan have been allies in
     the conflict against al Qaeda and its affiliates for over a
     decade, with the shared goal of ensuring that Afghanistan is
     never again a sanctuary for al Qaeda.
       (2) The United States and Afghanistan are committed to the
     framework agreed to at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
     (NATO) Summit in Lisbon in 2010, and reaffirmed at the NATO
     Summit in Chicago in 2012, for the transition from coalition
     forces to the Afghan National Security Forces of

[[Page S7254]]

     lead responsibility for security throughout Afghanistan by
     the end of 2014.
       (3) In June 2011, President Barack Obama said, ``What we
     can do, and will do, is build a partnership with the Afghan
     people that endures--one that ensures that we will be able to
     continue targeting terrorists and supporting a sovereign
     Afghan government.''
       (4) In November 2011, a traditional loya jirga in Kabul
     declared that ``strategic cooperation with the United States
     of America, which is a strategic ally of the people and
     government of Afghanistan, is considered important in order
     to ensure political, economic, and military security'' and
     also stated, ``Signing a strategic cooperation document with
     the United States conforms with the national interest of
     Afghanistan and is of significant importance.''
       (5) On May 2, 2012, President Obama and President Hamid
     Karzai signed the Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement
     Between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic
     of Afghanistan.
       (6) At the signing of the Enduring Strategic Partnership
     Agreement, President Obama said, ``Today we're agreeing to be
     long-term partners in combating terrorism, and training
     Afghan security forces, strengthening democratic institutions
     and supporting development, and protecting human rights of
     all Afghans. With this agreement, the Afghan people, and the
     world, should know that Afghanistan has a friend and a
     partner in the United States.''
       (7) At a May 20, 2012, bilateral meeting with President
     Karzai at the NATO Summit in Chicago, President Obama said
     that the Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement ``reflects
     a future in which two sovereign nations--the United States
     and Afghanistan--are operating as partners, to the benefit of
     our countries' citizens, but also for the benefit of peace
     and security and stability in the region and around the
     world''.
       (8) President Karzai said at the May 20, 2012, bilateral
     meeting with President Obama, ``Mr. President, the
     partnership that we signed a few weeks ago in Kabul has
     turned a new page in our relations. And the new page is a
     page of two sovereign countries working together for the
     mutual interests--peace and security and in all other
     areas.''
       (9) On May 26, 2012, the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of
     the Afghan parliament, approved the Agreement by a vote of
     191-7 with 2 abstentions.
       (10) On June 3, 2012, the Meshrano Jirga, the upper house
     of the Afghan parliament, approved the Agreement by a vote of
     67-13.
       (11) On July 8, 2012, at the Tokyo Conference on
     Afghanistan, the international community and the Government
     of Afghanistan reaffirmed their partnership in the economic
     growth and development of Afghanistan through a process of
     mutual commitments and accountability.
       (12) On July 4, 2012, the Enduring Strategic Partnership
     Agreement entered into force.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the members of the United States Armed Forces,
     intelligence community, and diplomatic and development
     community of the United States are to be commended for their
     dedicated efforts and sacrifices in support of military and
     stability operations in Afghanistan that have helped
     strengthen security in Afghanistan, laid the foundation for
     transition to a long-term partnership between the United
     States and a sovereign Afghanistan, and supported the
     Government and people of Afghanistan as they continue to
     build their capacity to effectively and justly govern;
       (2) the United States negotiating team for the Enduring
     Strategic Partnership Agreement, including the United States
     Embassy personnel in Kabul under the leadership of Ambassador
     Ryan Crocker, is to be commended for its committed diplomatic
     efforts;
       (3) the Governments of the United States and Afghanistan
     are to be commended for concluding the Enduring Strategic
     Partnership Agreement;
       (4) Congress supports the objectives and principles of the
     Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement, including
     protecting and promoting shared democratic values, advancing
     long-term security, reinforcing regional security and
     cooperation, fostering social and economic development,
     upholding the rights of women and minorities, and
     strengthening institutions and governance in Afghanistan;
       (5) it is essential that the Government and people of
     Afghanistan fulfill Afghanistan's international commitments
     as agreed at the Tokyo Conference of July 2012, the Bonn
     Conference of December 2011, the Kabul Conference of July
     2011, and other venues to combat corruption, protect the
     equal rights of all citizens of Afghanistan and enforce the
     rule of law, hold free and fair elections in 2014, and build
     inclusive and effective institutions of democratic
     governance;
       (6) a key national security interest of the United States
     is to maintain a long-term political, economic, and military
     relationship with Afghanistan, including a limited presence
     of United States Armed Forces for the purpose of training,
     advising, and supporting Afghan National Security Forces and
     cooperating on shared counterterrorism objectives;
       (7) the negotiation and conclusion of a Bilateral Security
     Agreement, as called for in the Enduring Strategic
     Partnership Agreement, will provide a fundamental framework
     for the long-term security relationship between the United
     States and Afghanistan; and
       (8) Congress has a critical role in continuing to provide
     the support and assistance necessary to achieve the goals of
     the Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement.
                                 ______