On Afghanistan trip, Chambliss, other lawmakers from Georgia say more troops are needed

By Bob Keefe

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

WASHINGTON -- One day into a fact-finding trip through Afghanistan, U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss said Thursday he's more convinced than ever that the United States needs to quickly and dramatically boost U.S. forces there.

"If we're going to secure the regions of Afghanistan that need securing and get some normalcy for Afghan citizens, that's simply what it's going to take," Chambliss (R-Ga.) said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution by phone from Kabul. "And we can't afford to lose in Afghanistan. That's not even an option."

Chambliss is leading a delegation of Georgia's members of Congress that left Atlanta late Wednesday. Accompanying him on the four-day trip are Republican U.S. Reps. Tom Price of Roswell and Lynn Westmoreland of Coweta County and Democratic U.S. Rep. John Barrow of Savannah.

Thursday, the delegation had Thanksgiving dinner with troops from the 48th Infantry Brigade, part of the Georgia Army National Guard.

"It was a remarkable Thanksgiving Day," Price, who was on his first visit to Afghanistan, told the AJC.

The trip comes as President Barack Obama on Tuesday night is expected to announce a major ramp-up of troops during a speech at the Army's West Point academy in New York. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Chambliss will have a say in sending additional troops to Afghanistan.

The White House has not released details of the president's plans, but Chambliss confirmed that Obama is expected to announce an increase of 30,000 to 40,000 troops, in keeping with a recommendation from war commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal about three months ago. There are already about 68,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

"Certainly our soldiers are weary, our military families are weary ...  but these soldiers' morale is unbelievable," Chambliss said after visiting troops from Georgia.

Members of the Georgia delegation met with McChrystal on Thursday morning to discuss the planned troop surge and other details.

"He [McChrystal] is comfortable with the fact that this has been thoroughly hashed out and that the right decision will be reached," Chambliss said.

The Georgia delegation also met with Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, a Columbus, Ga., native who's in charge of NATO's training mission in Afghanistan.

According to Chambliss, Obama also is expected to give details Tuesday on plans to swell the ranks of  soldiers and police forces in Afghanistan to 400,000 people.

"We're not even halfway there yet ... but Gen. Caldwell has a definite plan on how he's going to do it," he said.

Like Chambliss, Price -- who's typically at odds with the White House -- said he's supportive of the president's plans, as long as the White House is committed to victory in Afghanistan.

"The mission is to keep America safe and free and [stop] al-Qaida from threatening the American people," Price said. "If that requires more resources and more manpower, that's what it requires."

With the additional troops, estimates for the war in Afghanistan range from $50 billion to $100 billion per year. Asked about the high price tag, Price said it was small and worth it when compared with Obama's domestic programs.

To try to sway lawmakers to the president's point of view, members of the Obama administration are planning a major push on Capitol Hill after Congress returns to work next week.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are all scheduled to appear before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee. McChrystal also is planning to make an appearance.

Obama is expected to have an easier time persuading Republicans in Congress to fund a big troop increase than he is members of his own party.

Along with Chambliss, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, also has said he believes troop levels should be dramatically increased.

But Democrats, wary of the costs and cognizant of a public that's growing tired of war, are more hesitant.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California has said she doesn't think members of Congress will stomach another major troop surge. U.S. Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin has proposed a "war tax" to pay for fighting in Afghanistan.

And Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has said the United States should make sure there's a more stable government in Afghanistan before sending more troops there.

Chambliss said he spoke with Kerry just before he left for Afghanistan, and disagrees.

"What I heard here today is that we've got to provide the security first," Chambliss said from Kabul. "There's no way to have stability in government without having some sense of security, and that's what these additional troops will do."