WEBVTT 00:04.040 --> 00:06.151 Good morning . Inspector General will 00:06.151 --> 00:07.570 start with you 00:13.050 --> 00:16.280 tomorrow . We would pave the way 00:16.920 --> 00:20.210 in Chicago which is less than four 00:20.210 --> 00:23.250 months away , Afghanistan is of course 00:23.260 --> 00:27.010 our operation and we are 00:27.010 --> 00:30.230 making progress every day . Afghan 00:30.230 --> 00:33.820 forces are growing stronger and capable . 00:34.400 --> 00:37.540 They're leading around 40% of all 00:37.540 --> 00:40.210 combat operations and they have started 00:40.210 --> 00:43.070 to provide security for half the Afghan 00:43.070 --> 00:46.170 population . So our mission is going in 00:46.170 --> 00:49.830 the right direction . Our shared goal 00:49.830 --> 00:52.390 is for the Afghan forces to be in the 00:52.390 --> 00:54.790 lead for security all across the 00:54.790 --> 00:58.710 country by the end of 2014 00:58.720 --> 01:02.680 and we stick to that goal today and 01:02.680 --> 01:04.750 tomorrow . We will have a discussion 01:04.760 --> 01:08.030 about the progress we have made and how 01:08.030 --> 01:10.820 we continue to move forward with . 01:12.640 --> 01:15.470 We'll also discuss how to ensure we 01:15.470 --> 01:17.720 have the right capabilities in these 01:17.730 --> 01:20.660 hard economic science . The right 01:20.660 --> 01:23.620 approach is what we call smart defense 01:24.830 --> 01:27.650 and work on smart defense is well under 01:27.660 --> 01:31.480 way . We are identifying 01:31.490 --> 01:35.180 capability gaps which cooperation 01:35.180 --> 01:38.340 between nations field and I would 01:38.340 --> 01:41.130 expect that process to start delivering 01:41.130 --> 01:45.010 results in Chicago . But I would also 01:45.010 --> 01:47.730 like to stress that smart defense is 01:47.730 --> 01:51.550 not a quick fix . It's not a one off . 01:51.560 --> 01:54.680 It's about the long term . It's a whole 01:54.680 --> 01:58.150 new way of doing business because 01:58.160 --> 02:01.530 this is no longer the time For business 02:01.540 --> 02:05.070 as usual . So we've got a lot of work 02:05.630 --> 02:08.120 and I can take a couple of questions . 02:08.990 --> 02:12.960 Yes . Secretary Brunnstrom from 02:12.970 --> 02:16.390 Reuters , given Secretary Panetta's 02:16.400 --> 02:19.870 remarks overnight , I asked 02:19.880 --> 02:23.680 whether you foresee a complete end to 02:23.680 --> 02:26.760 NATO combat operations in Afghanistan 02:26.770 --> 02:30.690 by the end of 2013 and 02:30.700 --> 02:32.650 whether you think conditions will 02:32.650 --> 02:35.720 justify such a change of policy 02:39.640 --> 02:43.500 summit in Lisbon In November 02:43.500 --> 02:46.930 2010 , we outlined a roadmap for a 02:46.940 --> 02:50.290 gradual transition to lead of lead 02:50.290 --> 02:52.401 security responsibility to the Afghan 02:52.401 --> 02:55.930 security forces . That decision and 02:55.930 --> 02:58.360 that road map still stand 03:00.300 --> 03:01.967 as you know , we have started 03:01.967 --> 03:04.930 transition last year and through almost 03:04.940 --> 03:07.070 half of the Afghan population will be 03:07.070 --> 03:09.320 living in areas where the Afghan 03:09.320 --> 03:11.360 security forces have taken lead 03:11.360 --> 03:15.310 responsibility and transition Continues 03:15.320 --> 03:18.790 throughout 2012 . And we expect the 03:18.790 --> 03:21.950 last provinces uh to be handed over to 03:21.950 --> 03:23.620 the Afghan security forces by 03:23.620 --> 03:27.400 mid-2013 . From that 03:27.400 --> 03:31.170 time , Afghan security forces are 03:31.180 --> 03:34.330 in the lead all over Afghanistan and 03:34.330 --> 03:37.300 from that time the role of our troops 03:37.300 --> 03:40.690 will gradually change combat to 03:40.700 --> 03:44.370 support in that there is nothing 03:44.380 --> 03:48.250 new . It is of course 03:48.260 --> 03:52.030 of crucial importance um that 03:52.040 --> 03:55.350 this change of role takes place in a 03:55.350 --> 03:58.620 coordinated manner within ISAF 03:58.630 --> 04:01.900 and that this change of role 04:01.910 --> 04:04.820 takes into account the actual security 04:04.820 --> 04:08.330 situation on the ground um 04:08.340 --> 04:12.040 today and tomorrow We will consult with 04:12.050 --> 04:15.130 allies and partners on how best to 04:15.130 --> 04:18.110 implement this transition . These 04:18.110 --> 04:20.450 consultations will continue and 04:20.450 --> 04:23.490 decisions will be made at our summit in 04:23.910 --> 04:27.430 Chicago . I can assure you that the 04:27.430 --> 04:29.486 decisions we took at the last summit 04:31.250 --> 04:34.390 will remain the bedrock of our strategy 04:34.400 --> 04:37.380 for transition . I can also assure you 04:37.390 --> 04:40.990 that the alliance will maintain its 04:40.990 --> 04:43.920 solidarity and stick to 04:49.030 --> 04:51.141 the Danish minister today . We invite 04:51.141 --> 04:53.490 other countries joined 05:03.770 --> 05:04.490 today , 05:07.320 --> 05:09.500 September 17 for the first time . 05:14.600 --> 05:17.610 I don't have any comments . Not got any 05:17.620 --> 05:21.530 information about that on the first the 05:21.540 --> 05:24.990 danes initiative on munitions , I 05:24.990 --> 05:27.850 really appreciate that initiative . Uh 05:27.860 --> 05:30.770 common acquisition , common storage of 05:30.780 --> 05:34.440 munitions are excellent examples 05:34.450 --> 05:37.740 of smart defense because it will 05:37.750 --> 05:41.330 uh constitute more 05:41.340 --> 05:43.750 efficient use of resources . 05:45.320 --> 05:48.560 That's also one of the lessons from 05:52.150 --> 05:53.760 So I praised 05:58.210 --> 06:02.110 for this initiative is 06:02.160 --> 06:05.550 expected to be an integrated part of 06:05.550 --> 06:07.106 the smart defense package . 06:12.510 --> 06:14.300 NATO has always insisted that 06:14.300 --> 06:16.522 transition was never going to be driven 06:16.522 --> 06:18.950 by politics , but now it's clear that 06:18.950 --> 06:20.450 in some countries election 06:20.450 --> 06:22.561 considerations are starting to affect 06:22.561 --> 06:24.800 that . Will NATO ? Will the coalition 06:24.800 --> 06:27.420 be able to weather this pressure to 06:27.420 --> 06:30.700 speed up the transition ? But actually 06:30.710 --> 06:32.932 there's nothing new in the fact that in 06:32.932 --> 06:35.170 a coalition of free democracies , you 06:35.170 --> 06:37.520 will always have a free and open debate 06:37.530 --> 06:40.720 on how best to proceed . We have had 06:40.730 --> 06:43.390 that in the past . We'll have it in the 06:43.390 --> 06:46.730 future . The essence is that we're 06:46.730 --> 06:49.580 going to consult with each other and 06:49.590 --> 06:51.460 the outcome of that process of 06:51.460 --> 06:54.320 consultation will be decisions made on 06:54.320 --> 06:57.680 the basis of basis of consensus and 06:57.690 --> 07:00.060 based on all I have heard and all I 07:00.060 --> 07:02.490 have seen , I think all allies and all 07:02.490 --> 07:05.260 partners stick to the decisions we took 07:05.270 --> 07:08.840 in Lisbon that is the road map uh 07:08.850 --> 07:12.190 leading to uh the transition of lead 07:12.200 --> 07:14.570 security responsibility to the afghans 07:14.580 --> 07:17.730 completed by the end of 2014 . Thank 07:17.730 --> 07:18.930 you very much , 07:18.940 --> 07:22.550 uh , 07:24.140 --> 07:24.860 very Islamic .