WEBVTT 00:04.240 --> 00:06.470 I'll start up in the north and kind of 00:06.470 --> 00:08.940 work my way south through the , through 00:08.940 --> 00:11.107 the province very quickly . Just going 00:11.107 --> 00:13.218 to give you an update on what's going 00:13.218 --> 00:15.273 on . I know you're all interested in 00:15.273 --> 00:17.496 the Sangin , uh the Sangin affair . And 00:17.496 --> 00:19.440 that's uh we're making good steady 00:19.440 --> 00:22.520 progress in saying in uh the area right 00:22.520 --> 00:24.631 around the district center , the area 00:24.631 --> 00:26.798 that Third Battalion fifth marines and 00:26.798 --> 00:29.440 37 ft so hard for uh over the summer 00:29.440 --> 00:31.329 and fall in the early part of the 00:31.329 --> 00:33.950 winter has been stabilized and uh 00:34.840 --> 00:36.951 kinetic activity within the center of 00:36.951 --> 00:39.020 the city within the district center 00:39.020 --> 00:41.710 area has really dropped off to uh 00:41.720 --> 00:44.350 virtually nothing that of course allows 00:44.350 --> 00:46.350 the bizarre to flourish . It allows 00:46.350 --> 00:48.770 schools to open and it allows the road 00:48.770 --> 00:52.020 there to be to be wide open for traffic 00:52.020 --> 00:54.250 going both north and south 00:55.640 --> 00:57.770 north of Sangin is the area in which 00:57.770 --> 01:01.430 the Sangin security 01:01.430 --> 01:03.541 arrangement was made with the L . A . 01:03.541 --> 01:06.830 Cozy tribe . And that that agreement is 01:06.830 --> 01:10.560 holding pretty fast . Ah The 01:11.040 --> 01:13.040 road that we offered to improve for 01:13.040 --> 01:15.096 them that runs from Sangin up to the 01:15.096 --> 01:19.060 Kajaki Dam is about a 18 km in length 01:19.540 --> 01:21.910 And our combat engineers have now fixed 01:21.920 --> 01:24.800 uh about 11 km of that road got a good 01:24.800 --> 01:27.180 hard surface in there . The roads uh 01:27.190 --> 01:30.350 much improved the people are very , 01:30.350 --> 01:32.810 very appreciative of that . And even 01:32.810 --> 01:34.977 the hard rains we had here in the last 01:34.977 --> 01:37.143 week didn't wash away any improvements 01:37.143 --> 01:39.280 I flew over yesterday and uh it looks 01:39.280 --> 01:41.520 real good and I think we'll finish that 01:41.530 --> 01:43.752 stretch of road up here in the next few 01:43.752 --> 01:47.680 weeks . Yeah , when you look south 01:47.680 --> 01:49.458 of sanding , that's where third 01:49.458 --> 01:51.291 Battalion fifth marines is still 01:51.291 --> 01:53.810 engaged and they are doing some cleanup 01:53.810 --> 01:56.160 work force in areas outside the 01:56.160 --> 01:58.500 district center , in areas in which we 01:58.500 --> 02:00.611 haven't had a chance to get to before 02:00.611 --> 02:02.830 again , they're having some very good 02:02.830 --> 02:04.552 engagements up there and there 02:04.552 --> 02:07.310 certainly uh been very successful in 02:07.310 --> 02:09.366 cleaning out some areas that we were 02:09.366 --> 02:11.588 unsure what they were like . And now we 02:11.588 --> 02:13.643 know that the uh , the government of 02:13.643 --> 02:16.150 drone is fully in charge . Uh huh . As 02:16.150 --> 02:18.150 you , as you go south of Sangin and 02:18.150 --> 02:20.261 head down towards the center of the , 02:20.261 --> 02:22.206 of the province , very big project 02:22.206 --> 02:24.428 we've been working on is a road again 6 02:24.428 --> 02:26.483 11 that runs from Sangin down to the 02:26.483 --> 02:28.350 district center or down to the 02:28.360 --> 02:31.440 provincial center . That road that road 02:31.440 --> 02:34.860 was stalled this fall due to insurgent 02:34.860 --> 02:37.800 activity . That's where the marines 02:37.800 --> 02:39.800 from Third Battalion eighth marines 02:39.800 --> 02:41.800 went into from the mute . It's also 02:41.800 --> 02:45.260 where the tanks are operating there . 02:45.640 --> 02:47.862 They're in their effect . And there has 02:47.862 --> 02:50.460 been absolutely incredible . Uh , the 02:50.470 --> 02:52.526 the civilian contractor building the 02:52.526 --> 02:54.800 road has doubled his speed has moved 02:54.800 --> 02:56.780 the hardball road now through the 02:56.790 --> 02:59.440 dangerous area around Hyderabad and is 02:59.440 --> 03:01.810 rapidly closing in on sanding . And 03:01.810 --> 03:03.921 that road again very well received by 03:03.921 --> 03:05.970 the locals heavily trafficked by 03:05.980 --> 03:08.780 commercial traffic and as of yet , the 03:08.790 --> 03:11.050 insurgents have been unable or 03:11.050 --> 03:12.920 unwilling to interdict that road 03:12.920 --> 03:15.840 anywhere . So , it's a very , very safe 03:15.840 --> 03:18.370 drive right now and one that has cut 03:18.380 --> 03:21.770 our our convoy time for instance , for 03:21.770 --> 03:24.050 about three days going from Leatherneck 03:24.050 --> 03:26.900 up to a sanguine to about eight hours . 03:26.910 --> 03:29.250 So a significant improvement and one 03:29.250 --> 03:31.472 that we think will bring commercial and 03:31.472 --> 03:34.190 uh social development to that very 03:34.190 --> 03:36.870 important part of Helmand province . As 03:36.870 --> 03:39.092 you move down through the center of the 03:39.092 --> 03:41.350 province , you get to Marcia and things 03:41.350 --> 03:44.850 there have got along very nicely . The 03:44.860 --> 03:47.193 police force is now close to 400 people . 03:47.640 --> 03:50.720 About 120 of them are local marshall 03:50.720 --> 03:54.600 boys and most of the security in the 03:54.600 --> 03:56.822 local market area . The downtown marshy 03:56.822 --> 03:58.600 area is provided by the afghans 03:58.600 --> 04:00.700 themselves , either the army or the 04:00.710 --> 04:03.330 police force . Most of our marines now 04:03.330 --> 04:05.497 are moving moved well to the perimeter 04:05.520 --> 04:07.840 and are operating well outside the 04:07.850 --> 04:10.590 district center . Again that has gone 04:10.600 --> 04:13.040 very , very well . Very , very pleased . 04:13.050 --> 04:15.106 I understand that there's a movie on 04:15.106 --> 04:16.828 tonight . Back home margin the 04:16.828 --> 04:20.030 documentary , uh , hopefully they'll 04:20.030 --> 04:22.560 make part two and it will be much more 04:22.560 --> 04:24.710 of a peaceful little shell . One that 04:24.710 --> 04:26.766 will concentrate on the schools that 04:26.766 --> 04:28.710 have opened in there including the 04:28.710 --> 04:30.877 girls school and the heart . They mean 04:30.877 --> 04:33.043 those of you have been to march in the 04:33.043 --> 04:35.210 main street is now being paved . Solar 04:35.210 --> 04:38.960 lighting is up and it's quite 04:38.970 --> 04:41.660 quite a different place as you move 04:41.660 --> 04:44.190 south on the river and you get down to 04:44.190 --> 04:46.710 where the uh second Battalion first 04:46.710 --> 04:48.766 marines are working and to where the 04:48.770 --> 04:51.100 third Ellie are working . Again , some 04:51.100 --> 04:52.989 real nice progress down there and 04:52.989 --> 04:55.100 closing down some very bad areas that 04:55.100 --> 04:57.760 were major narcotics and explosives uh 04:58.540 --> 05:00.910 biz ours for want of a better term . 05:00.960 --> 05:02.738 They've done a very good job of 05:02.738 --> 05:04.682 bringing the last bit of the river 05:04.682 --> 05:06.904 under our control and things down there 05:06.904 --> 05:09.370 are relatively quiet and their biggest 05:09.370 --> 05:11.370 threat down there are some residual 05:11.370 --> 05:13.592 IEDs they're running into on occasion . 05:13.840 --> 05:17.340 But our our find rate is now about 3-1 05:17.350 --> 05:19.450 over our strike rate , which is very 05:19.450 --> 05:21.610 good and we are seeing more and more 05:21.610 --> 05:23.860 local national tips that are coming up 05:24.340 --> 05:27.810 and things are things are 05:27.810 --> 05:30.032 progressing . I'll tell you , I'll tell 05:30.032 --> 05:32.088 you a quick story . I was out in the 05:32.088 --> 05:34.199 field this week and some of our young 05:34.199 --> 05:36.143 marines and you're at a one of our 05:36.143 --> 05:38.199 patrol bases have have some families 05:38.199 --> 05:40.366 who live in the area who and of course 05:40.366 --> 05:42.588 it's cold and wet over here now and the 05:42.588 --> 05:44.754 people are a little bit suffering from 05:44.754 --> 05:47.088 lack of clothing and that kind of thing . 05:47.088 --> 05:49.143 And they provided marines , provided 05:49.143 --> 05:51.310 some warm clothing to one of the local 05:51.310 --> 05:53.310 poor families . Uh And the next day 05:53.310 --> 05:55.421 young seven year old boy arrived back 05:55.421 --> 05:57.970 from that family in gratitude with I . 05:57.970 --> 06:00.192 E . D . In his hands and turned over to 06:00.192 --> 06:02.414 the marines so they wouldn't get hurt . 06:02.640 --> 06:04.751 So that's kind of a good news story . 06:04.751 --> 06:07.084 Kind of a nice story , but a true story . 06:07.084 --> 06:09.307 And although we don't like the Children 06:09.307 --> 06:11.529 handling handling the I . E . Ds by any 06:11.529 --> 06:11.490 stretch of the imagination . Uh 06:11.500 --> 06:13.722 certainly that young man's heart was in 06:13.722 --> 06:15.833 the right place , but I think it's an 06:15.833 --> 06:17.833 an indicator . Again , a lot of the 06:17.833 --> 06:19.722 population is really beginning to 06:19.722 --> 06:21.910 realize the benefits that the security 06:21.910 --> 06:23.743 is brought to them . And now the 06:23.743 --> 06:25.521 government of the government of 06:25.521 --> 06:27.521 Afghanistan is providing for them . 06:27.521 --> 06:29.354 They're seeing that in schools , 06:29.354 --> 06:31.521 they're seeing that in shops , they're 06:31.521 --> 06:33.188 seeing that in in in economic 06:33.188 --> 06:36.170 opportunity now . And I'll finish up 06:36.180 --> 06:38.291 with saying that initial reports show 06:38.291 --> 06:40.513 that the poppy season will be a bad one 06:40.720 --> 06:43.780 and we believe that the the growth of 06:43.780 --> 06:46.790 poppy will be down . Um you know , be 06:46.790 --> 06:48.957 down a bit , they'll be down some some 06:48.957 --> 06:50.901 numbers this year and uh less than 06:50.901 --> 06:52.901 there was last year , I think we're 06:52.901 --> 06:55.068 making incremental progress on that as 06:55.068 --> 06:56.901 well . Working closely with with 06:56.901 --> 06:59.090 governor mingle with that . I'd 06:59.090 --> 07:00.923 certainly be happy to answer any 07:00.923 --> 07:04.150 questions you might have . Mhm . 07:05.240 --> 07:07.950 Mhm . Well , um 07:09.040 --> 07:11.151 General Mills , I guess I can start , 07:11.151 --> 07:13.318 I'm Alison with KPBS . Good to see you 07:13.318 --> 07:15.484 again . Nice to see you again . I just 07:15.484 --> 07:19.450 wondered what , yes , what are you 07:19.450 --> 07:22.770 hoping to accomplish before july when 07:22.780 --> 07:24.947 there may be some kind of a drawdown . 07:27.140 --> 07:29.307 Well , I think what we were hoping for 07:29.307 --> 07:31.670 before July really were hoping for in 07:31.670 --> 07:35.420 the year 2011 is a continuation of the 07:35.430 --> 07:39.160 rise in the capability of the Afghan uh 07:39.540 --> 07:41.762 Security forces , both the army and the 07:41.762 --> 07:44.230 police . Uh , ultimately that's what 07:44.230 --> 07:47.380 will allow us to uh , to leave . Uh , I 07:47.380 --> 07:49.269 think that we're seeing a rise in 07:49.269 --> 07:51.740 numbers . A good rising numbers . The 07:51.740 --> 07:53.629 police , for instance , have been 07:53.629 --> 07:55.851 authorized another 2200 police officers 07:55.851 --> 07:57.851 in the province were raised , we're 07:57.851 --> 07:59.907 raising those and training those and 07:59.907 --> 08:01.962 equipping those . The army is making 08:01.962 --> 08:04.900 good numbers . Uh , For instance , they 08:04.900 --> 08:06.990 have the lowest our core here . The 08:06.990 --> 08:09.550 215th corps has the lowest rate , 08:09.560 --> 08:11.782 unauthorized absence rate in the Afghan 08:11.782 --> 08:14.280 army . All of that is progress we're 08:14.280 --> 08:16.540 making and the , the Afghan army here 08:16.540 --> 08:18.762 within the provinces operating more and 08:18.762 --> 08:20.920 more semi independently just with our 08:20.920 --> 08:23.031 support . But they're , they're doing 08:23.031 --> 08:25.031 the bulk of the fighting in many in 08:25.031 --> 08:27.198 some areas . Uh , so I I think what we 08:27.198 --> 08:29.590 have to push for is a is again , keep 08:29.600 --> 08:31.822 raising the capabilities , keep raising 08:31.822 --> 08:34.030 the confidence of the afghan security 08:34.030 --> 08:37.160 forces while simultaneously , uh , 08:37.540 --> 08:40.020 pushing the insurgency down to a level 08:40.030 --> 08:42.320 at which it can be handled by the , by 08:42.320 --> 08:44.598 the indigenous forces . I think that's , 08:44.598 --> 08:46.709 that's certainly what we're trying to 08:46.709 --> 08:48.820 do . And that will certainly allow us 08:48.820 --> 08:50.931 to have the , the conditions set then 08:50.931 --> 08:53.264 for any uh , any thinning out of forces . 08:56.640 --> 09:00.070 Thank you general . I'll get your 09:00.070 --> 09:02.237 fuentes with times . Nice to see you . 09:02.237 --> 09:04.403 Nice to see you again . Well , can you 09:04.403 --> 09:06.403 talk thanks . Can you talk a little 09:06.403 --> 09:08.520 about or explain or put into contact 09:08.520 --> 09:10.631 some of the kinetic activity that you 09:10.631 --> 09:12.631 are seeing . Are you seeing at this 09:12.631 --> 09:14.353 point that it's more organized 09:14.353 --> 09:16.810 offensive attacks against uh marines 09:16.810 --> 09:19.450 and coalition forces or it's more the 09:19.450 --> 09:21.561 marines finding pockets of resistance 09:21.561 --> 09:23.672 and engage in engaging them . Can you 09:23.672 --> 09:25.783 kind of give a little context to what 09:25.783 --> 09:28.006 we're seeing through this winter ? Sure 09:28.006 --> 09:30.061 be happy to uh , the major the major 09:30.070 --> 09:32.200 weapon was a major foreign attack . 09:32.200 --> 09:34.256 We're seeing this over the winter is 09:34.256 --> 09:36.200 the I E . D . Uh they are still in 09:36.200 --> 09:38.311 placing them but they are running out 09:38.311 --> 09:40.367 of them and the ones that we see are 09:40.367 --> 09:42.380 less and less powerful , but 09:42.390 --> 09:45.250 nonetheless uh dangerous . Uh we are 09:45.250 --> 09:47.300 seeing a drop in direct fire , him 09:47.300 --> 09:49.930 confronting us directly and using uh 09:49.940 --> 09:52.690 long rifles or small arms . But we are 09:52.690 --> 09:55.620 seeing uh ideas being placed on roads 09:55.620 --> 09:57.787 being placed in bazaars , that type of 09:57.787 --> 10:00.590 thing . We have not seen really any 10:00.590 --> 10:03.960 kind of complex attack . 10:04.340 --> 10:06.451 Certainly , certainly nothing nothing 10:06.451 --> 10:08.507 along the lines of what Kandahar had 10:08.507 --> 10:12.120 last week . Uh the the attacks that we 10:12.120 --> 10:15.090 are seeing are no , you only attack is 10:15.090 --> 10:17.201 lethal when someone shooting at you , 10:17.201 --> 10:18.910 but they're all their overall 10:18.920 --> 10:22.410 relatively disorganized small groups of 10:22.420 --> 10:24.890 young men with rifles to take several 10:24.890 --> 10:27.650 shots at you and then disappear . Uh 10:28.640 --> 10:32.620 Now it does depend on where you are 10:32.620 --> 10:34.787 in the province , uh , when you get up 10:34.787 --> 10:37.580 into the areas around Gereshk where the 10:37.590 --> 10:39.534 mu is operating right now . It's a 10:39.534 --> 10:41.757 little bit more uh there's there's more 10:41.757 --> 10:45.700 uh definite resistance as 10:45.700 --> 10:48.990 you get up north to the west is hanging 10:49.000 --> 10:51.460 more resistance when you get down to 10:51.460 --> 10:54.270 the places like Marcia . Uh , certainly 10:54.270 --> 10:56.492 Garm share , it's much much less , this 10:56.492 --> 10:58.326 is much more disorganized almost 10:58.326 --> 11:01.060 exclusively , I E . Ds . Um 11:02.340 --> 11:04.230 So it's it's really not we're not 11:04.230 --> 11:06.063 seeing a calm , we're not seeing 11:06.063 --> 11:08.008 complex attacks . We're not seeing 11:08.008 --> 11:10.119 large groups of the enemy . Uh we are 11:10.119 --> 11:12.230 finding him . We are still doing well 11:12.230 --> 11:14.900 over 500 patrols today . We're seeking 11:14.900 --> 11:16.956 him out , both with our conventional 11:16.956 --> 11:19.178 forces , probably more importantly with 11:19.178 --> 11:21.233 our special operations guys at night 11:21.233 --> 11:23.400 who are taken down an awful lot of his 11:23.400 --> 11:25.740 command control . Again , that is 11:26.440 --> 11:28.496 finding him when he goes to bed , uh 11:28.496 --> 11:30.718 hit them in the middle of the night and 11:30.718 --> 11:32.940 entering the compounds safe . Make sure 11:32.940 --> 11:35.107 the women and Children are safe within 11:35.107 --> 11:37.218 the compound and then confronting the 11:37.218 --> 11:39.218 uh confronting the people that were 11:39.218 --> 11:41.218 looking for and uh either detaining 11:41.218 --> 11:41.850 them or otherwise dealing with him .