WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, just back from Afghanistan and Pakistan, said yesterday that he backs the strategy there advocated by the top U.S. ground commander, but is awaiting "specific recommendations" from the military and White House before concluding for himself the number of troops needed for the job.

Inouye met with U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal, who has indicated that he will ask for as many as 40,000 more troops in Afghanistan to broaden a counterinsurgency strategy focused on protecting Afghan civilians.

So far, McChrystal's approach has received a lukewarm reception at the White House, which is in the throes of a full-scale strategy review of the war in Afghanistan and the role of neighboring Pakistan.

"At this time, I believe Gen. McChrystal's assessment of the current situation and his conclusions, including his assessment that coalition forces must have more daily contact with the people of Afghanistan, is correct and is what is needed if we are to achieve security and stability in Afghanistan," Inouye said in a statement.

"I had the opportunity to discuss with Gen. McChrystal his assessment and the report he made to the White House. His focus on the population is a correct one. You can spend all the money in the world, but if the people aren't with you then you're out of business."

SENATOR HAS CLOUT

Inouye met with U.S. troops — some from Hawai'i — as well as with U.S., Afghan and Pakistani commanders, intelligence officials, and the presidents of both countries.

"Despite the many challenges they face, the morale of our troops remains high and their fierce dedication to the mission was truly inspiring," said Inouye, who won a Medal of Honor for his service in World War II's European theater.

Hawai'i's senior senator made his trip as violence in the eight-year war in Afghanistan has been escalating and U.S. casualties have been climbing.

Attacks of all types — roadside bombs, ambushes, sniper fire, rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons — have reached record levels, according to Pentagon data.

Meanwhile, public support for the war has been dropping.

Inouye heads the powerful Appropriations Committee and its defense subcommittee, which together have significant control over the purse strings of the military and potentially the course of the war in Afghanistan.

"As the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I cannot and will not close my mind to the knowledge that for each 1,000 troops (added) it will be an additional $1 billion of taxpayer support," Inouye said. "I need not remind anyone that this is a time of global financial crisis."

OPPOSING VIEWS

For the past several weeks, President Obama and his national security team have been meeting behind closed doors to reassess the strategy in Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have both said recently that the United States is committed to a regional strategy aimed at building long-standing relations with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

But they have not been specific about how that might affect U.S. troop levels in the region.

Obama is already in the process of adding 21,000 more troops to Afghanistan, which would bring the total number of U.S. forces there to roughly 68,000 by year's end.

McChrystal's 40,000 — if he gets them — would come on top of that.

But there is resistance to McChrystal.

Vice President Joseph Biden believes that the mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan should be scaled back to a counterterrorism strategy aimed more at al-Qaida than the Taliban.

Some influential lawmakers advocate training Afghan forces as quickly as possible so American troops can start moving back out of the combat zones.

Obama apparently is not close yet to a final decision on the way forward.

"I still think we're probably several weeks away," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said at a briefing late last week. "But I think the president feels like the discussions are going well."