Article: Africa, Mideast first congressional tour for Minnesota's Paulsen.(NEWS)

Byline: Kevin Diaz; Staff Writer

WASHINGTON - Freshman Rep. Erik Paulsen had thought his first official trip as a congressman would be to war-torn Iraq or Afghanistan. Instead, the Minnesota Republican accepted an invitation to tour six nations in Africa and the Middle East, part of a congressional delegation looking at the political, security and humanitarian situation in the troubled region.

"The Horn of Africa is a global hot spot right now," Paulsen said in an interview Wednesday. "It's everything from piracy, to the ongoing struggles in Somalia, to the overall national security situation."

Paulsen's unannounced trip, completed last week, ...

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