WEBVTT 00:01.340 --> 00:03.396 General tucker , thank you again for 00:03.396 --> 00:05.618 joining us . This is the uh I think the 00:05.618 --> 00:07.673 second time that you've joined us in 00:07.673 --> 00:09.673 this particular format . This is uh 00:09.673 --> 00:11.729 medical tucker , the Deputy Chief of 00:11.729 --> 00:13.507 Staff for Operations for NATO's 00:13.507 --> 00:15.729 International Security Force , Security 00:15.729 --> 00:17.673 Assistance Force as well as Deputy 00:17.673 --> 00:19.840 Commander for Operations for US forces 00:19.840 --> 00:21.507 in Afghanistan . He's been in 00:21.507 --> 00:24.700 Afghanistan in this position since june 00:24.700 --> 00:28.540 of last year . Uh and he will again be 00:28.540 --> 00:31.460 giving us a brief update on the 00:31.460 --> 00:33.293 stability security operations in 00:33.293 --> 00:35.460 Afghanistan and then take some of your 00:35.460 --> 00:37.404 questions again . General Tucker , 00:37.404 --> 00:39.404 thank you for taking some time this 00:39.404 --> 00:41.516 evening and for bearing with us while 00:41.516 --> 00:43.571 we got through some of the technical 00:43.571 --> 00:43.360 issues . Let me turn it over to you . 00:46.040 --> 00:48.150 All right , well , thank you for the 00:48.150 --> 00:50.250 opportunity to address you today . 00:50.740 --> 00:52.800 We're certainly busy here in 00:52.800 --> 00:55.610 Afghanistan , uh supporting the 00:55.610 --> 00:57.910 government and along the security line 00:57.910 --> 01:01.450 of operation and also supporting 01:01.450 --> 01:03.930 governance and reconstruction . It's a 01:03.930 --> 01:06.097 busy time obviously as we're preparing 01:06.097 --> 01:09.280 to receive the uplift of U . S . Forces 01:09.280 --> 01:12.490 into regional Command South uh and it's 01:12.490 --> 01:15.420 a busy time of year as we continue to 01:15.420 --> 01:18.310 press towards the warmer months as the 01:18.320 --> 01:20.640 insurgency become more active . But we 01:20.640 --> 01:22.990 have we're very proud of our activities 01:22.990 --> 01:25.101 over the winter months at keeping the 01:25.101 --> 01:27.410 pressure on as well as increasing 01:27.410 --> 01:29.632 capacity within the Afghan government . 01:29.940 --> 01:32.050 And I won't spend too much time with 01:32.050 --> 01:34.106 the opening comments . I'll go ahead 01:34.106 --> 01:36.106 and begin to take your questions if 01:36.106 --> 01:38.050 that's okay ? No , that's fine . 01:38.050 --> 01:40.328 General . We'll get right into it here . 01:41.140 --> 01:43.720 Daphne , You got the first one . Good 01:43.720 --> 01:45.776 morning general . This is definitely 01:45.776 --> 01:49.070 Benoit with 4th place . Um , you were 01:49.070 --> 01:52.750 mentioning a raise of activity by the 01:52.760 --> 01:55.790 insurgents . Are you seeing any kind of 01:55.800 --> 01:59.170 spring offensive materialized right now ? 01:59.180 --> 02:02.280 Has it started ? And where exactly do 02:02.280 --> 02:04.530 you see the most activity in 02:04.530 --> 02:06.260 Afghanistan itself or ? 02:09.540 --> 02:12.810 Well , the The activity , the insurgent 02:12.810 --> 02:16.130 activities are obviously in the south , 02:16.140 --> 02:18.550 probably about 80% of them of the 02:18.550 --> 02:20.717 activities in the south right now . To 02:20.717 --> 02:22.883 see some of the east probably centered 02:22.883 --> 02:25.050 along the areas in the vicinity of the 02:25.050 --> 02:27.480 Pakistan border . We haven't 02:27.480 --> 02:29.720 necessarily seen an increase recently 02:29.720 --> 02:33.360 at all . We do anticipate it to become , 02:34.140 --> 02:36.362 but we do anticipate the enemy becoming 02:36.362 --> 02:39.530 more increasingly active as the poppy 02:39.530 --> 02:42.180 harvest season begins to wane down 02:42.180 --> 02:44.660 around the uh first few weeks of May 02:51.440 --> 02:53.551 general . This is Laura jake with the 02:53.551 --> 02:55.700 Associated Press . Um , there are 02:55.700 --> 02:57.756 reports out of the Swat valley today 02:57.756 --> 02:59.770 that militants there have started 02:59.770 --> 03:02.410 expanding beyond the valley . Um , I'm 03:02.410 --> 03:05.550 just wondering if you see that the 03:05.560 --> 03:08.970 peace agreement has been uh counter act 03:08.980 --> 03:11.490 counterproductive . Um , and if this is 03:11.500 --> 03:13.500 something that's on your radar , it 03:13.500 --> 03:15.444 seems to have emboldened the peace 03:15.444 --> 03:17.611 agreement seems to have emboldened the 03:17.611 --> 03:21.320 extremist . Uh , that's a good point . 03:21.320 --> 03:23.376 It is on our radar , we're concerned 03:23.376 --> 03:25.500 about that . Uh , obviously that's a 03:25.500 --> 03:28.030 decision that the freely elected 03:28.030 --> 03:31.050 Pakistan government made . We were in 03:31.050 --> 03:33.106 close coordination with the Pakistan 03:33.106 --> 03:35.680 Army , have regular meetings with them 03:35.680 --> 03:39.350 and our attention primarily with the 03:39.350 --> 03:41.461 Pakistan Army obviously is focused in 03:41.461 --> 03:44.070 the federally administered tribal areas 03:44.070 --> 03:46.181 to Fatah and along the border regions 03:46.181 --> 03:48.237 up in the moment by Azure and Khyber 03:48.237 --> 03:50.292 Agency's where we are having a great 03:50.292 --> 03:52.510 deal of joint operations , sharing 03:52.510 --> 03:55.350 intelligence with the pakistanis , uh 03:55.940 --> 03:58.051 conducting joint operations with them 03:58.051 --> 04:00.273 along with the Afghan border police and 04:00.273 --> 04:03.320 Afghan army . The activities in the 04:03.320 --> 04:05.431 slot do concern us . We're keeping an 04:05.431 --> 04:09.070 eye on it and are working daily 04:09.070 --> 04:11.920 with the Pakistan military with 04:11.930 --> 04:14.460 bilateral communications and continue 04:14.460 --> 04:16.460 to in fact work our operations even 04:16.460 --> 04:18.793 further into the south into Baluchistan . 04:21.040 --> 04:22.984 Follow up . If you're working your 04:22.984 --> 04:25.096 operations further in the south , how 04:25.096 --> 04:26.929 many troops are we talking about 04:26.929 --> 04:29.310 exactly what are you doing besides just 04:29.310 --> 04:31.421 sharing communications and keeping an 04:31.421 --> 04:32.950 eye on it ? Uh huh . 04:36.040 --> 04:39.360 We're helping with signals intelligence , 04:39.360 --> 04:43.340 imagery intelligence . Uh we we 04:43.350 --> 04:46.020 we shared radios with them so we can 04:46.020 --> 04:48.520 communicate with each other . The end 04:48.520 --> 04:52.260 result is we're able to to take 04:52.260 --> 04:54.770 advantage of the border regions that 04:54.780 --> 04:56.950 the insurgents used to be able to take 04:56.950 --> 04:59.690 advantage of with impunity . Now that 04:59.690 --> 05:03.330 area , the border is visible both to to 05:03.330 --> 05:05.330 the Afghan border police and to the 05:05.330 --> 05:08.460 Pakistani counterparts . And so the 05:08.460 --> 05:10.682 enemy can't take advantage of that area 05:10.682 --> 05:12.849 and move indiscriminately in that area 05:12.849 --> 05:14.904 but be held accountable for . And so 05:14.904 --> 05:17.071 what we're able to do is actually hand 05:17.071 --> 05:19.430 off the enemy uh from one country to 05:19.430 --> 05:22.310 the next and then actually confirmed 05:22.310 --> 05:24.643 positive handoff Yes , I see them . Yes , 05:24.643 --> 05:26.754 we're going to be able to interdict . 05:26.754 --> 05:28.780 And so uh that type of sharing 05:28.780 --> 05:31.010 information and cooperation along the 05:31.010 --> 05:32.800 border regions is actually 05:32.810 --> 05:35.070 unprecedented . And it's it's 05:35.070 --> 05:38.600 increasing each day and it certainly is 05:38.600 --> 05:42.470 valuable to us that trying to uh not 05:42.470 --> 05:44.637 necessarily seal the border , which is 05:44.637 --> 05:46.803 almost impossible but at least to keep 05:46.803 --> 05:49.026 activities moving back and forth across 05:49.026 --> 05:50.637 across the border in check . 05:54.330 --> 05:58.220 Like just general mike mouth 05:58.230 --> 06:01.430 with CNN along those lines with more 06:01.430 --> 06:03.950 into into Pakistan . Can you maybe talk 06:03.950 --> 06:07.950 a bit um about how the growth and the 06:07.960 --> 06:10.690 influence of the Taliban and Pakistan 06:10.700 --> 06:14.400 is a concern to you and the US and 06:14.400 --> 06:16.550 allied forces in Afghanistan . 06:20.540 --> 06:23.480 I would obviously align with the 06:23.490 --> 06:25.710 president's new strategy of regional 06:25.720 --> 06:28.950 regional focus . Pakistan is is as 06:28.950 --> 06:32.800 important to us uh as as Afghanistan is 06:32.810 --> 06:36.750 and we do monitor operations 06:36.760 --> 06:38.670 in Pakistan enemy operations in 06:38.670 --> 06:41.550 Pakistan and cooperate closely with the 06:41.550 --> 06:44.510 Pakistan military . We feel that they 06:44.510 --> 06:46.830 are , they are having effect against 06:46.830 --> 06:50.030 the insurgency in the end the fontana , 06:50.030 --> 06:52.086 Northwest provinces , as I mentioned 06:52.086 --> 06:54.419 earlier , we think they could do better . 06:54.419 --> 06:56.960 We think that they could probably 06:58.240 --> 07:01.090 do less focus on the indian border . 07:01.090 --> 07:02.757 More focus on the border with 07:02.757 --> 07:05.410 Afghanistan to help stem the the 07:05.420 --> 07:07.740 sanctuary that the insurgency enjoys 07:07.740 --> 07:11.300 there . But information that uh that we 07:11.300 --> 07:14.210 analyze and perceive about the enemy in 07:14.210 --> 07:16.321 those regions we certainly share with 07:16.321 --> 07:18.488 the Pakistan military to better enable 07:18.488 --> 07:20.750 them to uh to strike and affect that . 07:25.640 --> 07:27.760 So this is joe tablet Was al hurra 07:28.240 --> 07:30.500 given what we know about the insurgent 07:30.500 --> 07:33.190 activities and what you are expecting 07:33.190 --> 07:36.600 in the near future . Do you think you 07:36.600 --> 07:38.550 will need additional forces in the 07:38.550 --> 07:39.550 upcoming months ? 07:43.340 --> 07:45.340 Well , we do have additional forces 07:45.340 --> 07:48.100 coming in the in the upcoming months . 07:48.540 --> 07:51.830 And obviously the purpose of these 07:51.830 --> 07:55.500 forces is to allow us to do several 07:55.500 --> 07:58.960 things . one of course , is to reach 07:58.960 --> 08:01.640 out into more villages and reach out to 08:01.640 --> 08:03.730 more of the population here in 08:03.730 --> 08:06.480 Afghanistan in order to set the 08:06.480 --> 08:10.320 conditions for social , social economic 08:10.320 --> 08:12.840 growth and to enhance governance 08:12.850 --> 08:16.310 specifically at the local level . The 08:16.320 --> 08:19.090 other part obviously is to create what 08:19.090 --> 08:22.830 we call a hold effect . Uh as I've 08:22.830 --> 08:26.290 said earlier , we can we have the 08:26.290 --> 08:28.346 ability here to clear the enemy from 08:28.346 --> 08:30.568 just about anywhere . We need to , what 08:30.568 --> 08:32.790 we've had an inability to do here is to 08:32.790 --> 08:35.090 hold what we've cleared this additional 08:35.090 --> 08:37.360 troops allow us to hold and then 08:37.740 --> 08:41.350 coupled with that obviously in the in 08:41.350 --> 08:43.572 light of counterinsurgency operations , 08:43.580 --> 08:46.810 we will spend a lot of time with these 08:46.810 --> 08:49.260 additional forces and uh 08:49.980 --> 08:53.930 mentoring and coaching uh in teaching 08:53.940 --> 08:56.780 the Afghan police and the Afghan 08:56.780 --> 08:58.724 National Army . Those two combined 08:58.724 --> 09:00.669 obviously with the Afghan national 09:00.669 --> 09:02.900 Security forces in order to raise their 09:02.900 --> 09:06.180 capability quicker and more 09:06.180 --> 09:09.820 comprehensively because obviously to 09:09.830 --> 09:13.700 increase their capacity uh to bring 09:13.700 --> 09:16.680 security to their own country is in 09:16.680 --> 09:19.090 line with our long term objectives here 09:19.100 --> 09:22.890 in Afghanistan . Quick follow 09:22.890 --> 09:24.860 up sir , do you think what you are 09:24.870 --> 09:28.780 getting ? I mean , the 17,000 is enough 09:28.780 --> 09:29.350 for you . 09:33.740 --> 09:36.780 General McKiernan thinks that 17,000 09:36.790 --> 09:39.068 troops actually with all the neighbors , 09:39.068 --> 09:41.068 it probably gets up close to around 09:41.068 --> 09:43.068 20,000 . We think that based on our 09:43.068 --> 09:44.930 analysis uh and based on our 09:44.930 --> 09:47.460 appreciation for enemy activity and 09:47.460 --> 09:49.910 what it is that we need to do , uh 09:49.920 --> 09:53.450 that's that will suffice . You can only 09:53.450 --> 09:55.650 put so many foreign troops in 09:55.650 --> 09:58.530 Afghanistan . This this country does 09:58.530 --> 10:01.610 not , there's somewhat xenophobic in 10:01.610 --> 10:04.300 that regard . They don't necessarily 10:04.300 --> 10:06.467 like to have a lot of foreign troops . 10:06.467 --> 10:08.880 And so we think what we have is enough 10:08.880 --> 10:11.140 to get the job done as efficiently and 10:11.140 --> 10:13.440 as quickly as possible without without 10:13.440 --> 10:15.162 breaking through some of those 10:15.162 --> 10:15.960 thresholds that they have .