WEBVTT 00:10.340 --> 00:12.673 well , certainly in general terms , yes , 00:12.673 --> 00:14.618 this is not , this is not a recent 00:14.618 --> 00:17.010 initiative into this area . This has 00:17.020 --> 00:19.131 been a requirement that the commander 00:19.131 --> 00:21.620 in that area has had for some time . 00:21.880 --> 00:24.430 And this is that requirement coming to 00:24.430 --> 00:26.960 fruition . But they will be bolstering 00:26.960 --> 00:30.140 the existing patrols 00:30.150 --> 00:33.370 providing extra security . I mean , one 00:33.370 --> 00:36.090 of one of the problems we have is just 00:36.100 --> 00:38.790 sheer numbers in , in a country that 00:38.800 --> 00:40.689 you know better than I is just so 00:40.689 --> 00:44.140 difficult to get around because of the 00:44.150 --> 00:46.280 communications , the lack of roads , 00:46.280 --> 00:48.990 the poor roads , um , uh , and all that 00:48.990 --> 00:51.750 goes all that goes with that . Um , so 00:51.760 --> 00:54.260 weight of numbers of troops um , 00:54.270 --> 00:57.390 actually makes a big difference in 00:57.390 --> 00:59.660 terms of provision of security . 01:10.120 --> 01:12.231 That decision , I have to be honestly 01:12.231 --> 01:14.287 predates my arrival here and I'm not 01:14.287 --> 01:17.520 entirely sure why presumably , I mean , 01:17.520 --> 01:19.631 I'm speculating , but because because 01:19.631 --> 01:22.000 Commander RC East determined that that 01:22.000 --> 01:24.222 was the area where he needed force more 01:24.222 --> 01:26.056 than more than his other areas . 01:36.240 --> 01:38.351 Assuming that that decision is made , 01:38.351 --> 01:40.518 which we're expecting , that political 01:40.518 --> 01:42.351 decision , they will make a huge 01:42.351 --> 01:45.260 difference . Look at the example of to 01:45.260 --> 01:47.440 form you from earlier in the year when 01:47.450 --> 01:51.280 to form you moved into the southern or 01:51.280 --> 01:53.336 the central southern area of Helmand 01:53.336 --> 01:55.502 province . The Ramsey , a Snake's Head 01:55.502 --> 01:59.350 area , initially a huge increase in 01:59.360 --> 02:01.471 violent incidents . But that is to be 02:01.471 --> 02:03.940 expected . It's quite often described 02:03.940 --> 02:06.420 here now by some of our briefers as 02:06.430 --> 02:10.000 more cowboys in Injun country , you 02:10.000 --> 02:12.250 will increase the level of incidents 02:12.250 --> 02:14.417 and violence when you first put troops 02:14.417 --> 02:16.583 into an area that's to be expected and 02:16.583 --> 02:18.639 indeed in some ways welcomed because 02:18.639 --> 02:20.806 that was the purpose of going there in 02:20.806 --> 02:22.917 the first place . But then after that 02:22.917 --> 02:25.083 initial period , once they had cleared 02:25.083 --> 02:27.710 out the uh the insurgents and gain 02:27.710 --> 02:31.420 control over the area , um it became a 02:31.430 --> 02:33.660 much better place to be and and I 02:33.670 --> 02:35.892 haven't been there myself unfortunately 02:35.892 --> 02:37.892 yet , but I keep reading reports of 02:37.892 --> 02:40.003 those who visit that Garmsir is now a 02:40.003 --> 02:42.040 thriving district center with the 02:42.040 --> 02:44.410 market that you can walk through . Six 02:44.410 --> 02:46.521 months ago , probably nine months ago 02:46.521 --> 02:48.632 actually help them when they actually 02:48.632 --> 02:50.743 went in . But before the marines went 02:50.743 --> 02:51.910 in it was deserted . 03:01.140 --> 03:03.029 There's always slight differences 03:03.029 --> 03:05.196 between different , different national 03:05.196 --> 03:07.362 characteristics in in the way of doing 03:07.362 --> 03:07.240 business . Although actually the 03:07.240 --> 03:09.351 difference in the U . S . Marines and 03:09.351 --> 03:11.573 the royal marines present because we've 03:11.573 --> 03:13.684 trained together for so many years uh 03:13.684 --> 03:15.740 and exercise together is is not that 03:15.740 --> 03:17.962 great . But no , I mean the substantial 03:17.962 --> 03:19.796 debt , I'm not saying there's no 03:19.796 --> 03:21.684 difference in in in ways of doing 03:21.684 --> 03:23.407 business . But the substantial 03:23.407 --> 03:25.500 differences is sheer numbers . And I 03:25.500 --> 03:27.500 think they would say that as well , 03:37.940 --> 03:40.580 the area where these new troops will go 03:40.580 --> 03:43.480 into our clearly , the areas assuming 03:43.480 --> 03:45.536 they are forthcoming are clearly the 03:45.536 --> 03:49.190 areas that we believe most need a 03:49.200 --> 03:52.250 greater weight of troops in order to um 03:52.260 --> 03:55.070 uh provide more protection to the local 03:55.070 --> 03:57.390 population . Uh and I keep talking 03:57.390 --> 03:59.557 about coalition troops here , but I do 03:59.557 --> 04:01.723 want to keep emphasizing that actually 04:01.723 --> 04:03.834 the there's there's a lot more afghan 04:03.834 --> 04:05.946 troops as well going into these areas 04:05.946 --> 04:08.057 over a period of time and , and , and 04:08.057 --> 04:09.890 that's actually more important , 04:09.890 --> 04:12.057 Certainly equally important , although 04:12.057 --> 04:14.112 they can't be produced as quickly of 04:14.112 --> 04:13.680 course because they're being recruited 04:13.680 --> 04:15.940 from scratch . So we will be putting 04:15.940 --> 04:19.300 them into the areas where we believe 04:19.310 --> 04:21.630 that they can have most benefit . It 04:21.630 --> 04:24.010 will lead as in the games for example , 04:24.020 --> 04:26.190 to a short term spike in violence . 04:26.190 --> 04:28.246 It's bound to because the purpose of 04:28.246 --> 04:30.357 putting them in there is to clear out 04:30.357 --> 04:33.720 the insurgents . Um , however , you are , 04:33.730 --> 04:37.120 I'm sure aware of the opt olo 04:37.200 --> 04:39.510 phases that we talk about the shape 04:39.520 --> 04:43.300 clear hold build . Um , we , it is 04:43.300 --> 04:46.150 now general McKiernan's policy that you 04:46.150 --> 04:48.730 don't do shaping and clearing until you 04:48.730 --> 04:51.200 can do holding and building because 04:51.200 --> 04:53.200 there is , you know better than I , 04:53.200 --> 04:55.367 there's no point in going and clearing 04:55.367 --> 04:57.422 somewhere out . If you then depart , 04:57.422 --> 04:59.533 the enemy comes back , the insurgents 04:59.533 --> 04:59.440 come back . So really do shake and 04:59.440 --> 05:01.662 clear if you can hold and build and for 05:01.662 --> 05:04.430 that , you need volume of forces . So 05:04.440 --> 05:07.860 let me , let me take an example of an 05:07.860 --> 05:09.971 area where we would wish in future to 05:09.971 --> 05:11.830 do better and it will be plainly 05:11.830 --> 05:13.997 obvious to you in the northern Helmand 05:13.997 --> 05:16.980 area where there is now a reasonable 05:16.980 --> 05:19.350 presence in musa Qala has been almost 05:19.350 --> 05:21.572 exactly a year now . I think the colour 05:21.572 --> 05:23.406 operation took place just before 05:23.406 --> 05:25.183 christmas last year . There's a 05:25.183 --> 05:27.350 reasonable presence in Sangin has been 05:27.350 --> 05:29.461 for some time , there's a presence in 05:29.461 --> 05:31.683 Kajaki though , not many people there . 05:31.683 --> 05:33.870 What we have not yet achieved is to 05:33.870 --> 05:37.760 join those areas up so that there is a , 05:38.240 --> 05:41.190 a security presence which allows locals 05:41.200 --> 05:44.830 to drive safely uh between those 05:44.840 --> 05:46.840 between those areas . So that's the 05:46.840 --> 05:49.062 sort of thing that we are going to want 05:49.062 --> 05:51.007 to improve . Governor mangal , the 05:51.007 --> 05:53.229 governor of Helmond province has said , 05:53.229 --> 05:55.340 and I can't remember the figures , is 05:55.340 --> 05:57.451 it 70% or 80% I think of the areas of 05:57.451 --> 05:59.940 population are under a form of 05:59.940 --> 06:02.680 government control . We would want to 06:02.690 --> 06:05.760 improve that form of government control 06:05.770 --> 06:09.560 and extend it to closer to 100% . 06:10.240 --> 06:12.970 Um , so your next question was , and 06:12.970 --> 06:14.914 then what after that ? Well , that 06:14.914 --> 06:17.480 drives the insurgents out of those 06:17.480 --> 06:20.720 areas . So , you know , I mean that in 06:20.720 --> 06:24.550 the end is our aim , if we can move the 06:24.550 --> 06:26.661 insurgents out of the areas where the 06:26.661 --> 06:28.550 local population are , so they no 06:28.550 --> 06:30.494 longer have an effect on the local 06:30.494 --> 06:32.494 population , afghan troops , afghan 06:32.494 --> 06:34.606 police can then come into those areas 06:34.606 --> 06:36.717 as they build up over time . Um , and 06:36.717 --> 06:38.606 uh , you know , that's that's the 06:38.606 --> 06:40.980 overall aim . Life is then better for 06:40.990 --> 06:43.101 the locals than it is at the moment . 06:53.140 --> 06:56.630 Well , one would hope that over time 06:56.630 --> 06:58.852 there won't be any areas . I mean , you 06:58.852 --> 07:00.630 know , they might move into the 07:00.630 --> 07:02.574 mountains into deserted valleys or 07:02.574 --> 07:04.741 something , but , you know , they have 07:04.741 --> 07:04.720 to live too and they're not achieving 07:04.720 --> 07:06.720 anything if they're doing that . So 07:06.720 --> 07:08.887 ultimately the purpose of it , if they 07:08.887 --> 07:11.690 can't control the populated areas then 07:11.700 --> 07:14.200 they have failed . They can't hold 07:14.200 --> 07:18.110 ground reports that Kabul 07:18.380 --> 07:21.960 is surrounded . I think 07:21.970 --> 07:24.730 we'll vastly exaggerated because you 07:24.730 --> 07:26.850 know , the the insurgents don't hold 07:26.850 --> 07:29.440 ground . They can't hold grand in any , 07:29.450 --> 07:32.270 in any force on force confrontation . 07:32.280 --> 07:35.610 They are defeated . They can of course , 07:35.620 --> 07:38.010 make a lot of mischief . Mischief is 07:38.010 --> 07:40.140 the wrong word . They can cause a lot 07:40.140 --> 07:44.100 of horrendous damage by their terrorist 07:44.100 --> 07:48.100 tactics . Uh suicide bombs . 07:48.110 --> 07:51.250 Uh , the one we saw in Helmand last 07:51.250 --> 07:53.430 week being a particular recent 07:53.440 --> 07:56.420 horrendous example , roadside bombs , 07:56.430 --> 08:00.180 IEDs that blow up vehicles cause 08:00.180 --> 08:03.870 casualties , create a feeling , a 08:03.880 --> 08:06.660 perception and a feeling of insecurity , 08:07.140 --> 08:10.340 which is what , and you know , we can 08:10.340 --> 08:12.900 create statistics that show that uh 08:12.910 --> 08:15.077 incidents in and around Kabul are down 08:15.077 --> 08:17.077 over the last year . But actually , 08:17.077 --> 08:19.132 that's almost meaningless because if 08:19.132 --> 08:21.077 the perception is that security is 08:21.077 --> 08:23.243 worse , then that's what we need to be 08:23.243 --> 08:25.420 aiming to try and improve . Not 08:25.420 --> 08:27.420 creating statistics to say that the 08:27.420 --> 08:28.420 numbers are down 08:38.240 --> 08:40.407 well , straight answers . The question 08:40.407 --> 08:42.518 is , yes , we are concerned , will it 08:42.518 --> 08:44.740 affect them ? We're not so concerned at 08:44.740 --> 08:47.120 the moment that there will be any 08:47.120 --> 08:49.510 decisive effect from , from these 08:49.510 --> 08:52.330 attacks . Um , Afghanistan is a 08:52.330 --> 08:55.380 landlocked country , all our supplies 08:55.380 --> 08:58.630 come in from surrounding countries and 08:58.630 --> 09:00.519 they come in through a variety of 09:00.519 --> 09:02.910 routes ? That particular one is a very 09:02.910 --> 09:06.100 important route , but by no means are 09:06.100 --> 09:09.060 they stopping supplies on that route ? 09:09.310 --> 09:11.900 This is an attack inside Pakistan 09:11.910 --> 09:14.080 against pakistanis who are just going 09:14.080 --> 09:16.360 about their lawful business as 09:16.360 --> 09:19.320 contractors of moving equipment . Um , 09:19.330 --> 09:22.180 uh , they , I wouldn't want to 09:22.190 --> 09:25.220 belittle the effect because clearly 09:25.230 --> 09:27.420 destruction of any supplies has an 09:27.420 --> 09:31.040 effect . It is not , it is not a 09:31.050 --> 09:34.300 measurably important effect on our 09:34.300 --> 09:34.880 operations .