(Washington D.C.)- An American soldier was tense and emotional as he described not only how three of his fellow soldiers were killed, but how terrorists mutilated one of their bodies. These are the gruesome details you don’t often hear in the global War on Terror and the intense personal emotions you don’t often see. As we discovered on an official Congressional trip not to Iraq, but to Afghanistan and Pakistan, over the Fourth of July, a resurgent Taliban and al Qaeda have increased their violent attacks to an alarming degree.

June was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Violence was up 40%. The beginning of July, and our Congressional trip, was punctuated by brazen and deadly bombings of the Indian Embassy in Kabul and at a mosque in Islamabad. Our brave men and women fighting the War on Terror in Afghanistan are at increasingly greater risk, and so is our national security. It is for these reasons we have maintained it is imperative for the United States and our NATO allies to increase our military presence in Afghanistan, and confront the Taliban and al Qaeda which have found safe haven in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

If Osama bin Laden is alive today, and there is no reason to believe he is not, this is likely where he lives and breathes, and plots. And if, God forbid, there is another terrorist attack against the United States we will look to terrorists uninhibited in these tribal areas as the source. This is the epicenter of the War on Terror and it is here we must combat the terrorists who have reconstituted since 9/11 to plot attacks against our soldiers and further attacks against our country.

While Pakistan is an ally in the War on Terror it is clear we need greater cooperation between our two countries to stem this threat. On July Fourth we met with President Pervez Musharraf and expressed grave concerns about the tribal areas as a breeding ground for terrorists in his country. President Musharraf indicated he would consider U.S. military assistance, but expressed concern that the political will does not exist in Pakistan to conduct a joint counter insurgency operation with our Special Forces in the tribal areas.

However, that political reality may be changing as the Pakistani government must consider its own stability in the face of a resurgent Taliban and al Qaeda within its borders. The imperative is clear. We need better intelligence from Pakistan’s ISI in the tribal areas. If actionable intelligence is obtained regarding high value Taliban or al Qaeda targets within these areas they must be confronted, if not by the Pakistani military alone, then with assistance of our own Special Forces. The reality of not confronting this threat and continuing to allow a sanctuary for terrorists to exist may one day result in the loss of American lives.

This point does not go unrecognized. On July 17, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff addressed our concern in a House Homeland Security Committee hearing by saying, "From a foreign affairs and homeland security perspective there’s nothing more important than addressing that issue." The same day, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, told Members of Congress he agreed that any future attack on the United States would likely come from this region. That is why he shares our belief that more troops and resources are needed in Afghanistan to control its own border with the tribal areas.

With a faster than expected drawdown of U.S. troops from Iraq, due to the dramatic decrease in violence there, Admiral Mullen also shares the belief we are now presented with an opportunity to shift our military, to focus on the alarming new levels of violence in Afghanistan, and its source. The government of Pakistan must either show definite progress in gaining control of the tribal areas or work with our own military forces within these areas to achieve control. Legislation is now in the Senate which would tie foreign assistance and military aid to Pakistan to its government’s commitment to eradicating terrorists from the tribal region. We believe this pressure is warranted.

It is important to point out we have made gains in the War on Terror, both military and civilian. In the face of terrorist forces that seek to destroy, rather than build or improve the lives of those they seek to control, the government of Afghanistan has made significant improvements in its own infrastructure. New roads have increased commerce and mobility. New schools for the first time educate girls who were previously excluded under Taliban rule. And there is increased agricultural production. This progress has had the undeniable effect of improving the lives of Afghans, who realize the long-term success in the War on Terror is key not only to their individual prosperity and security, but also to their success as a nation.

We have a historic opportunity to win the War on Terror. But we must act now to defeat those who seek to oppress and destroy, wherever they choose to hide.

Congressmen Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) sit on the House Homeland Security Committee. Congressman McCaul is a former Chief of Counter-Terrorism at the U.S. Department of Justice.