WASHINGTON: A leading Republican lawmaker on US military policy said he wanted American officials to consider establishing permanent military bases in Afghanistan.

Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina said that having a few US air bases in Afghanistan would be a benefit to the region and would give Afghan security forces an edge against the Taliban.

Graham told NBC television's ''Meet the Press'' that he wanted to see the US have ''an enduring relationship'' with Afghanistan to ensure that it never falls back into the hands of terrorists.

President Barack Obama plans to begin drawing down American forces in Afghanistan next year and hand over security to Afghan forces in 2014.

Obama has talked about an enduring presence in Afghanistan but not exactly what that would entail.