WOLFEBORO, N.H.—Republican Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday he would immediately double the number of troops under U.S. command in Afghanistan, arguing it would increase the chances of capturing Osama bin Laden and stabilize the region.
"We need to bring a surge to Afghanistan and make it effective, right now," he said.
Surrounded by World War II memorabilia at Wolfeboro's Wright Museum, Giuliani said extra combat troops are needed to stabilize the region and solidify the gains made in Afghanistan following the United States-led invasion in 2001 and 2002.
Giuliani's comments come the same day a University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll conducted for CNN and WMUR suggests him losing ownership of his core issue -- fighting terrorism. Earlier polls had him leading on this issue, but he now trails Sen. John McCain among likely Republican voters, 43 percent to 31 percent.
The United States has about 26,000 troops in Afghanistan. At a later stop in Somersworth, Giuliani clarified his comments, saying he was speaking about the number of U.S. troops under U.S. command, as opposed to those under international command.
"That's in the range of about 10,000 troops and not all at once," Giuliani told reporters at a restaurant.
The former New York mayor said "I've been saying this for quite some time" but said he thought the speech would be timely now given new tapes from bin Laden and last week's assassination of Pakistan's former prime minister.
In addition, Giuliani would expand the U.S. military, adding 10 new brigades to Army and providing more equipment and weapons to the Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
He said he would recruit the new numbers through ads and drives and improved benefits.
"We need to be able to have much larger military to deal with both the terrorist threat and anything else that is thrown at us," he said.
Giuliani's message dovetails with a new television ad he planned to start running nationally and which he previewed Wednesday evening at an event in Hooksett. As images of angry protests, terrorist explosions and Sept. 11 rubble flash across the screen, an announcer warns of another assassination such as the one that targeted Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto.
"An enemy without borders. Hate without boundaries. A people perverted. A religion betrayed. A nuclear power in chaos. Madmen bent on creating it. Leaders assassinated. Democracy attacked. And Osama bin Laden still making threats," the announcer says. "In a world where the next crisis is a moment away, America needs a leader who's ready."
Regarding Afghanistan and the fight against terrorism, Giuliani said during his remarks: "We are going to win because our ideas are better."
"Our ideas for freedom for all people, freedom for women, freedom of religion -- these ideas will ultimately prevail," he said. "Our strategy, however, will determine how fast we prevail or how long this struggle, this war, if you will, will go on."
Giuliani said his new four-point strategy for winning the war on terrorism also includes refocusing the nation's intelligence efforts, improving "even more" homeland security and winning "the war of ideas against these radicals."
Later at a town hall style meeting in Hooksett, when a voter asked about the potential of destabilizing Afghanistan if more troops are added, Giuliani replied the military would apply lessons learned in Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe to get rid of the Taliban.
"We had a stunning success in ousting Saddam Hussein; we did it in 23 days -- I believe we did -- and we did it with many less troops than anybody thought we would need," he said. "We accomplished something that Iran was trying to do for eight years."
Giuliani said his proposed escalation in Afghanistan could include a "hybrid force" of civilians and members of the military, trained "in establishing and re-establishing civil societies."
A spokeswoman later clarified that Giuliani's "hybrid force" would be separate from his proposed military escalation.
"The part where we've had more difficulties and trial and error is the rebuilding of societies, rebuilding of civil institutions, rebuilding of government -- nation building if you want to call it -- which heck, is a complex thing to do.
"If you look at the learning curve we went through, the surge in Iraq has turned out to be more successful than anyone thought it would be. Even the Democrats say so," he said.
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Associated Press writer Beverley Wang in Hooksett contributed to this report.
