Hagel says U.S. should ask for help

The United States should reach out to NATO allies for help in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel told the Gazette on Tuesday.

A trip to Jordan and Iraq in late June allowed the Senator to see first-hand the effects of the war in Iraq. Hagel spent about 14 hours in and around Baghdad with Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Foreign Relations Committee Ranking member Joe Biden (D-DE).

He said the many things he saw in Iraq reaffirmed his belief that the U.S. will need help to support the military presence it has around the world.

"We have 150,000 American troops over there and we're going to need help," he said."

It is costing the U.S. $4 billion to keep troops in Iraq and $1 billion for the troops in Afghanistan.

"We're making a mistake by not reaching out to NATO and the United Nations for help."

The senator said he spent about an hour with Nebraska troops before boarding a plane to head back to Jordan where the three were part of a World Economic Forum.

He said the morale in the troops was poor. "They've been there a long time and they want to come home," he said. "They are typical American troops. They don't come up and whine. They'll do their duty but you can't sustain that commitment forever."

Hagel said he served two years in the U.S. Army -- one of them in Vietnam.

"You can see it in their eyes. I've seen the look before," he said.

When in Iraq, the trio looked at some of the local government development projects, and the police training center which will eventually be responsible for training 70,000 to 80,000 Iraqi policemen.

Hagel said they looked at as much as they could and came away with "an appreciation of the magnitude of work we have ahead of us."

Under the Hussein rule, the infrastructure in Iraq has been allowed to deteriorate over the past 30 years. Now, not only does the U.S. have to work to help the country recover from the damage done during the war, but it also must help improve the aging infrastructure and deal with saboteurs.

He is concerned that world politics and our status as policeman for the world are stretching the U.S. too thin.

"There are 33 combat brigades in the U.S., 22 of those are already committed. We don't have the manpower to continue at this pace."

He is concerned that the situation with North Korea and Liberia will stretch the U.S. beyond it's capabilities, making the country vulnerable.

"We can't continue to run our people the way we've been running them," he said.

Hagel also was in McCook to hear concerns regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's arsenic regulations from area civic leaders.

Hagel said the stop in McCook was part of a yearly trip around Nebraska to discover the needs and concerns of Nebraskans.

"Coming out here is part of doing my job. You've got to get out there and get your shoes dirty and find out what people need."

During his visit, Hagel stopped by the Gazette to discuss several issues including his plans for the future in politics, "If I have a future," he said, laughing.

"At some point, I have to make a decision. I can either run for a third term (in the Senate), run for president or get out of politics," he said.

Hagel said that while he has no firm plans to run for the Senate in 2008 or to seek the presidency, "I want to have an influence on this country."