Biden To Take Stock In Terror Heartland

Will Lead Senate Delegation To Southwest Asia Just Days From Becoming Vice President

(CBS/AP)  Joe Biden is heading to Southwest Asia just days before becoming vice president, a visit that signals the new administration's plans to make the troubled region an immediate priority.

To protect his security Biden aides won't say which countries he plans to visit, but the geographic description suggests destinations such as Afghanistan, Pakistan or India.

The Delaware senator is leading the bipartisan congressional trip later this week as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, a post he has to resign before becoming vice president on Jan. 20.

An official familiar with the planning of the trip, first reported by CBS News Monday in the Hotsheet Blog, said Biden is going now so the new administration can be ready from its first day to deal with the region.

The official said waiting until after the inauguration would create delays of one to two months for an official White House trip to be organized.

The official spoke on a condition of anonymity because details of the trip are not authorized for public release.

The trip is designed to help Biden and the other foreign policy leaders from the Senate he is taking along to get a baseline, on-the-ground assessment and the policy options in each country so they quickly can formulate policies for the region, the official said. It was suggested by the president-elect's national security team.

The mountainous border region shared by Pakistan and Afghanistan is widely viewed by intelligence experts as the focal point for Islamic militants loyal to both the Taliban movement and al Qaeda. The U.S. is expected to shift thousands of troops to Afghanistan early in 2009 to join the fight against an increasingly bold insurgency.

Meanwhile, the relationship between long-time nuclear rivals Pakistan and India has been tense in the wake of the deadly November terrorist attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai. The neighbors have fought three wars already, but both say they want to avoid military conflict over Indian allegations that "Pakistani elements" were behind the attacks.

Joining Biden will be Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the incoming chairman of the committee. Also accompanying the vice president-elect will be Sens. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, Susan Collins, a Maine Republican and Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican. Collins and Graham are members of the Armed Services Committee.

By including Republicans, the incoming administration also is signaling a bipartisan approach to national security problems.

Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement that the delegations "will make it clear to foreign leaders that they are not there to speak on behalf of the U.S. government, or convey policy positions for the incoming administration." But Biden's new status is sure to create intense interest with leaders of the countries he is visiting, who will be looking to him for guidance on the incoming administration.

Biden was scheduled to be sworn in for a seventh term Tuesday, and Alexander said the trip was one of several reasons he wanted to do so even though he will only serve a couple of weeks.

Alexander said Biden felt it was important to take the oath of office after being elected to the seat, noting that Lyndon Johnson did the same in 1960 when he was vice president-elect. Biden also has transition work to do in the Senate office after 36 years of service and wanted to finish his other work on the Foreign Relations Committee, Alexander said.

Edward Kaufman, Biden's chief of staff for nearly two decades, was appointed to fill the Delaware seat after Biden resigns until another election will be held in two years.

[caddillackid]

As that goof-ball, airheaded doofis Sarah Palin might say..."gee golly gosh...way to go Joe!! So glad they lost...it would have been a severe tragedy if they had''nt. Dem go to heaven...Repubs....well, there''s only one other option of where they can go....LOL

[biblethumpar]

He is going to try to find the Shredded Constitution left behind by (Name Censored) Chenney..

[runningralph]

I like Joe Biden. He always says things to make people do a double take. What is the "crisis" he referred to in one of his campaign speeches that will take place in the first six months of Obama''s reign. He said we wouldn''t like it, that we would not understand it. I am so curious. Maybe this trip is setting up this "crisis"?

[rusure5]

Re: "Joe Biden is heading to Southwest Asia..."

Hopefully on a one-way flight.

[ballpen1]

Please note that - execpt for resonable security measures - this visit is announced in advance, not the usual cloak and dagger "surprise, surprise!" stuff Bush, Cheney and Rice do every so often. Change indeed!

[wardoglrs]

Thats funny the Constitution does not allow the US to involved itself in intangible alliances.

America needs to pull all her troops out of all countries bring home our troops and end the fed strangle hold on our freedoms