HONOLULU -- Hawaii's congressional leaders on Tuesday issued statements supporting President Barack Obama's plan to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

Sen. Daniel Inouye and Rep. Neil Abercrombie were briefed on Tuesday afternoon by the White House with other congressional leaders.

Here is Inouye's statement:

“I support the President’s plan and I left the briefing convinced that he had presented a good, workable strategy and that it should be supported by all Members of Congress.

“Of the 30,000 additional troops that will be in-country by July of next year, approximately one-third will be non-combatants who will help train Afghan Security Forces and help to prepare the Afghan armed forces and police to assume legitimate control over their nation’s security when we begin to withdraw U.S. troops in July 2011.

“The President conveyed our core mission as follows: ‘We will disrupt, dismantle, and eventually defeat al-Qa’ida and prevent their return to either Afghanistan or Pakistan…We will prevent the Taliban from turning Afghanistan back into a safe haven from which international terrorists can strike at us or our allies.’

“I believe our ultimate goal is to leave Afghanistan with security and governance in place that can successfully carry on the activities of a sovereign nation. It would be ill-advised to suddenly leave Afghanistan knowing that chaos would follow. The United States must be able to leave with our heads held high knowing that we have done the best job possible to keep the country intact.

“We must work quickly to secure the country while at the same time training the Afghan Army and police to take legitimate control of Afghanistan’s security when it is appropriate for U.S. and coalition forces to withdraw.

“I look forward to discussing how we will fund this strategy with my colleagues in the House and Senate. We will provide our soldiers all of the resources necessary to complete their mission. At the same time we must also be cognizant of the current economic condition and the cost that taxpayers will bear as a result of a major increase in war funding.

“My thoughts and prayers, as always, remain with the men and women in uniform who are tasked with taking up the fight and with their families back home who hope for their safe return.”

Sen. Daniel Akaka's statement:

“I know this was a difficult decision for the President to make. We all want to bring our troops home as soon as possible, but al-Qa’ida is a serious threat to our country – new plots are being planned, and Afghanistan cannot be allowed to become a safe haven for terrorists. At the same time, we cannot have an open-ended commitment burdening our troops and depleting our resources.

“I support President Obama’s new strategy which confronts terrorism, protects our country, outlines a path to bring our troops home and puts the Afghan government on notice that they are responsible for their own security. After eight years with no strategy for victory, I support President Obama’s clearly defined goals: defeat al-Qa’ida and the Taliban with the support of our allies, train and partner with the Afghan Security Forces, and begin to transition our troops out of Afghanistan. His plan prioritizes hot spots and regions where al-Qa’ida and other terrorist groups are operating, expands our partnership with Pakistan on our shared goal of containing extremism, and calls for civilian assistance to stabilize the Afghan government and infrastructure.

“The President met extensively with his national security team and spent time considering all of the options before making this tough decision to send additional troops into battle. I, along with Americans across the country, offer thanks to our troops and their families for their incredible sacrifices to keep us safe.”

Abercrombie's statement:

“We’ve been briefed by the White House on tonight’s speech and President Obama’s strategy for Afghanistan. However, I don’t want to comment further until the speech is delivered.

“We need to differentiate between supporting our troops and the policy and strategic implications. They will be dealt with in due time. What needs to be emphasized now is our complete support for the troops.”

Abercrombie was traveling back to Washington during Obama's speech.

Rep. Mazie Hirono's statement:

"Having inherited a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan because of the Bush Administration’s lack of a plan to get the job done, the President tonight articulated a way out of this war. He appropriately focused on why we are in Afghanistan: as it was the epicenter of the 9/11 attack on America and where new attacks are being plotted as we speak.

"I recently returned from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and I do have concerns about what we can realistically achieve with 30,000 additional troops. When we met with President Karzai, I stressed that the American people need reassurance through his actions that he would be a reliable partner.

"The American people and the Congress will now have an opportunity to fully examine this strategy and its costs."