Oregon Public Broadcasting

Senator Jeff Merkley has finished a fact-finding trip to Kuwait, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. 

On a layover in Brussels, he spoke to reporters about what he saw. Amelia Templeton reports.

During his eight-day trip Merkley met with the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan -- General Stanely McChrystal. The Senator also met with Afghan leaders from the Pashtun tribe, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Merkley called the troop surge in Afghanistan and counterinsurgency strategy a logical plan. But he says the U.S. faces a long list of challenges.

Jeff Merkley: “The whole conversation is about building all of the institutions, about building the economy, building the army building the police force… everything. This is a nation building enterprise and its enormously difficult.”

Merkley says that massive U..S spending in Afghanistan is warping the much smaller local economy there.

The senator did not say if he would support funding for the war beyond 2010.