WASHINGTON — Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., will return Tuesday from a congressional fact-finding trip to Afghanistan, where the largest deployment of Vermont National Guard troops since World War II is slated to be sent in November.
Welch, who was last in Afghanistan two years ago, said widespread corruption and narcotics trafficking is undermining the nation’s stability.
“The situation there has become more precarious,” Welch said in a phone call Monday from Hungary as he prepared to head back to the United States.
President Barack Obama is considering doubling the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to more than 60.000. American and NATO troops have been battling insurgent Taliban forces that have provided a safe haven for al-Qaida and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden since shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The Vermont Democrat was one of five members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs who took part in the six-day trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kuwait and Qatar. Their purpose was to continue oversight of U.S. military and diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, to assess the law enforcement capacity of both counties, and to ensure the effectiveness of reconstruction work in Afghanistan.
Welch made his visit as Obama is conducting a review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. One option that the president is considering is sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan as he pulls them out of Iraq over the next 16 to 18 months.
There are now about 32,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and another 30,000 NATO troops under the command of U.S. Army Gen. David McKiernan. The general has asked the Obama administration and Congress to send about 30,000 more troops to help stabilize the country and prevent terrorists from again using the area as a base to attack America.
The congressman said he has been thinking of the 1,800 Vermont National Guard troops who are expected to be sent to Afghanistan this fall as part of a mission to train the Afghan military and police.
“Their mission is a very important one,” Welch said. “All of us are concerned because we know they’ll be going into harm’s way. But those men and women are very well trained, and I know from talking to the guard troops and (Vermont Adjutant) General (Michael) Dubie that they’re up to the job.”
Welch said he met with some Vermont troops already in Afghanistan and their morale was high. Among the service men and women he met there was the brother of Vermont state Sen. Bobby Starr, D-Essex.
“It was the best part of my trip,” Welch said. “They were very upbeat.”
Welch said he is glad that the Obama administration is looking seriously at its options. He said he’ll be doing the same as he decides what strategy to support.
“Whatever the U.S. undertakes is going to be incredibly difficult,” he said. “It’s so important that the president and Congress be very careful about what we’re asking our troops to do and what we’re asking the American taxpayers to pay for.”