Let‘s start with Afghanistan and the president‘s meeting with members of Congress today. Democratic congressman Ike Skelton of Missouri was one of those in attendance at the White House. He‘s the chairman of the Armed Services Committee. And Republican congressman Duncan Hunter of California is a member of the Armed Services Committee, as well. He served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Gentleman, thank you for joining us. And thank you, Mr. Hunter, for your service, sir. Thank you. I always do that because we ought to all do that all the time.

Mr. Skelton, old pal, this is the question for you. Why are we in Afghanistan, and when can we leave?

REP. IKE SKELTON (D-MO), ARMED SERVICES CMTE. CHAIRMAN: Well, we went into Afghanistan, as you know, as a result of the 9/11 attacks. Nationally, that was the fifth attack on Americans, in 9/11. They started in 1993. We went in there, we dismantled the Taliban government that supported the al Qaeda terrorists, and-however, we didn‘t destroy them, as we had hoped to.

And through the years, you will note that we were diverted into Iraq, which took our eye off the ball. If we had put all of our resources into Afghanistan and done our very best against al Qaeda and against the Taliban government, which we did topple, we‘d be far better off today.

Now, you‘ll recall that the president gave an excellent speech in March, outlining the strategy that we should have in Afghanistan. So for all intents and purposes, we didn‘t have a real strategy until then. And when he gave that speech, in my opinion, the real war started. He appointed General McChrystal, who has a strong background of special forces, special operations, and he asked him to give an assessment in the next 60 days, which he did. And that assessment, of course, is one that‘s dire, and frankly, very troublesome.

And the president‘s now faced with a situation where I‘m sure that General McChrystal will make, if he hasn‘t already made, recommendations for increased resources to fulfill the mission that should have been finished back in 2002.

MATTHEWS: Congressman Hunter, we had a moral reason, I think most people would agree, to go into Afghanistan in ‘01. We had been attacked heavily. The bad guys were there, the ones who organized the attacks, cost us the lives of 3,000 innocent people. We went in there to get the people who did it, who organized it, and to punish those-let‘s be honest about it-who let them do it.

What‘s our moral reason? Give me a moral reason for why we‘re thinking of sending almost 21,000 more troops over there and General McChrystal, the field commander, is asking for another 40,000, we‘re told in the latest report. What‘s our moral reason for doubling down now in Afghanistan?

REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R-CA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: I don‘t think it‘s a moral reason. What I think we have to do is win. And if General McChrystal, who is...

MATTHEWS: No, what is the moral reason, though? You have to answer the question, sir. What is our moral case for our right to be in that country, killing people we don‘t like, killing people who are trying to knock down their own government? What‘s our moral case now for being there?

HUNTER: OK, Chris, you‘re asking me about the morality of warfare. I would say...

MATTHEWS: No, going in there now.

HUNTER: The moral case is this, that we have Islamo-fascists who want to kill Americans. They‘re based out of Afghanistan. They attacked us on 9/11, and prior to, as Chairman Skelton said. We went in there, took them out. We have to win this now. The moral obligation is we went in there, we started fighting, we disbanded al Qaeda there and Taliban, and if the president‘s general is asking for more troops, we ought to listen to him. We don‘t make strategy here, we just help the troops win. And that‘s what we need to do.

MATTHEWS: Well, let me ask you about the moral question, Mr. Skelton. The question is-and you‘re chairman of the committee and you do make strategy because we have a co-equal branch that you represent. The question is, we had a moral case to go in there and punish the people who attacked us and to knock them out of power. But today, are we fighting the people that attacked us on 9/11? Are the Taliban forces attacking us now the people who attacked us on 9/11?

SKELTON: What will happen is, the Taliban regains hold in either part or all of Afghanistan, just bet your bottom dollar, as sure as God made little green apples, the al Qaeda terrorists will go back in there and have a safe haven from which to plan, plot and attack America and American interests, wherever they may be.

And consequently, we have to finish the job. The job should have been finished back in 2002 and put the resources there that were put into Iraq, and sadly, they were not. And now the war really begins as a result of President Obama giving a strategy speech, and hopefully, he will listen to the recommendations of his commanders.

MATTHEWS: I think, gentlemen...

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you, Congressman-I want to ask you, Congressman Duncan (SIC), that same question because "finish" is a good word. I think most Americans believe that if we can get a job done over there that‘ll make us more secure, we should do it and come home. But the idea of finishing the job in Afghanistan sounds almost contradictory to history. Other countries that have gone in there have had a hard time changing Afghanistan. Can we change the country so Taliban won‘t take over?

HUNTER: Chris, that‘s...

MATTHEWS: Can we do that and finish the job?

HUNTER: Yes, that‘s the exact same thing people said about Iraq. And what‘s happening now there, we‘re going to come home victoriously, men and women, job well done, thanks for your service. Iraq is done. We‘ve won over there. The exact same thing can happen to Afghanistan.

And I‘ll tell you, al Qaeda in Afghanistan, the exact same ones that we fought in 2001, 2002, they‘re Islamo-fascists. They want to destroy America. Yes, those are the same people that are over there now. Those are the same America-hating people who will blow us up for any reason whatsoever. Those are the exact same ones that we‘re fighting over there. That‘s why we have to win, and that‘s why we ought to follow General McChrystal‘s counterinsurgency plan for Afghanistan. He‘s the guy. He knows how to win. Let‘s give him the resources to do it. Let‘s leave Afghanistan victoriously. I think that‘s the right thing to do.

MATTHEWS: How many people in the Islamic world do you think are like that? Of the billion people in the Islamic world, what-where are these Islamo-fascists that are rooting against us? What percentage do you think are out there that we would have to take on at some point?

HUNTER: Don‘t know what percentage there are...

MATTHEWS: But a lot of them?

HUNTER: ... but 95 percent of them are in Pakistan or Afghanistan, so that‘s where we‘re focusing at.

MATTHEWS: They‘re not in-they‘re being supported by the people in Saudi Arabia? They‘re not being supported by the Emirates? They‘re not getting their money from all over the Arab world? I thought they were. I thought that‘s who was arming the Taliban.

HUNTER: No, Wahhabism‘s part of this. Wahhabism‘s part of this. Iran is part of this. This is general hatred for the West and a throwback to 15th century Islamic fundamentalists. I mean, that‘s what this has all been about since September 11, 2001. Nothing‘s changed, Chris. There...

MATTHEWS: OK, bottom line, gentlemen...

HUNTER: There‘s, you know, still some angry folks out there that have camels and will throw stones at us.

MATTHEWS: OK, let me ask you this. You first, Congressman Campbell (SIC). Will we succeed in Afghanistan to be able to come home at some point?

SKELTON: I think so. I certainly think so, and I think with a good strategy, with a good follow-through, with our allies, the NATO allies that are there-as a matter of fact, I just left a meeting with our British counterpart from parliament, and the large majority of them express strong support for what we‘re going to do.

MATTHEWS: OK. Do you have the same confidence, Congressman Campbell, that-I mean, Congressman Duncan Hunter-that we can come home after doing the job in Afghanistan, that can be done?

HUNTER: Absolutely. Absolutely.

MATTHEWS: OK.

HUNTER: And Ike Skelton‘s a great leader for Congress. With his help, the president‘s leadership on this, we can get Afghanistan done.

MATTHEWS: OK, thank you very much, Congressman Ike Skelton, and thank you, Congressman Duncan Hunter.