Cuomo, With a Delegation, Arrives in Afghanistan

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/nyregion/cuomo-makes-surprise-trip-to-afghanistan.html

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Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday as part of a delegation of governors visiting troops and receiving briefings on counterterrorism and security issues, his office said.

Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, traveled to Washington on Friday and met with Defense Department officials, according to his office. He then flew to Afghanistan, stopping first in Germany to meet with wounded soldiers.

Also on the trip, which was sponsored by the Defense Department, were Govs. Bill Haslam of Tennessee and Brian Sandoval of Nevada, both Republicans, and Jay Nixon of Missouri, a Democrat. The under secretary of the Army, Brad Carson, was also part of the delegation.

Mr. Cuomo, who is seeking a second term in November, has rarely left New York during his time as governor. But he is showing more eagerness to look beyond his state’s borders, stoking speculation about his future political aspirations.

The trip was Mr. Cuomo’s second visit abroad in two months. In August, he traveled to Israel to demonstrate support for the country amid its conflict with Hamas.

The foreign travel provides Mr. Cuomo with an opportunity to gain publicity and to be seen as grappling with weighty issues like terrorism — issues with which his opponent in the election in November, Rob Astorino, a Republican and the Westchester County executive, has comparatively little experience.

Mr. Cuomo’s office said he was invited by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and decided to accept the invitation about two weeks ago after President Obama spoke to the nation about his plans to expand the military campaign against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, a militant group that made gains this summer in Syria and in Iraq.

Since then, Mr. Cuomo has spoken with increased urgency about terrorism. On Wednesday, Mr. Cuomo and Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey ordered additional security measures across their states. On Thursday, after Iraq’s prime minister asserted that his government had uncovered an ISIS plot against subways in Paris and the United States, Mr. Cuomo rode on the New York City subway in an effort to reassure New Yorkers about the system’s safety.

In a radio interview on Friday, Mr. Cuomo said he planned to spend more time focusing on security issues. “I believe it’s one of the great challenges for me,” he said. “It’s something that I am working very hard to educate myself in.”

About 270 members of the New York National Guard are deployed in Afghanistan, the governor’s office said, as are about 900 soldiers from Fort Drum, near Watertown, N.Y.

Mr. Cuomo traveled to Afghanistan without any staff accompanying him, a spokeswoman said. He is scheduled to return to the United States by the end of the day Monday.

Also on Saturday, Mr. Cuomo’s re-election campaign announced that the governor had accepted invitations to a pair of debates to be held in mid-October. One would take place in Buffalo, be televised and include two minor-party candidates. The other, in New York City, would be broadcast on the radio and include only Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Astorino.

But a spokeswoman for Mr. Astorino, Jessica Proud, said Mr. Astorino would not participate in those two debates unless Mr. Cuomo also agreed to a one-on-one televised debate.