Hatch: Obama should heed McChrystal

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama ought to abide by the recommendation of the U.S. commander in Afghanistan on troop levels, a Republican senator says.

Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, speaking Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," said Obama should heed the advice of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who reportedly is asking that up to 40,000 additional U.S. troops be sent to the country despite worries about corruption in the Afghanistan government.

"We have to worry about corruption, but we also have to work with whoever is put in there and whoever is put in there, you're going to find some corruption," Hatch said. "The fact of the matter is, I think we ought to rely on the hand-picked general by President Obama, General McChrystal, who has said, we've got to have more troops there."

Hatch said that while he understands Obama faces "tough decisions" on Afghanistan, he urged the president to make a decision on troop levels soon.

"I think it's taken too long and some people have been hypercritical in suggesting that he's waiting until after this election because they have some tough (U.S. gubernatorial races) up for election," he said. "I hope that's not the case."