WEBVTT 00:00.640 --> 00:03.740 how difficult is it in Afghanistan to 00:03.740 --> 00:05.560 avoid civilian casualties ? 00:08.740 --> 00:11.050 It is very hard because of the behavior 00:11.060 --> 00:13.580 of the Taliban and other insurgents . 00:13.630 --> 00:17.200 They are using human shields . They are 00:17.210 --> 00:20.870 taking an evil pride in saying that 00:20.880 --> 00:24.380 they want to attack anybody who is uh 00:24.390 --> 00:26.557 cooperating with us . And when they're 00:26.557 --> 00:28.723 doing this , they are very often doing 00:28.723 --> 00:31.490 it in villages in a civilian compound 00:31.490 --> 00:33.820 where they are very close to a family . 00:33.820 --> 00:36.098 And when we go in to defend themselves , 00:36.098 --> 00:38.550 when we go in to defend them or to 00:38.550 --> 00:40.606 support the Afghan National Security 00:40.606 --> 00:43.290 Forces whose mandate it is to defend 00:43.300 --> 00:46.670 its people well , when we cannot 00:46.670 --> 00:48.850 separate them , we find ourselves in 00:48.850 --> 00:51.480 very tough situation sometime even just 00:51.480 --> 00:53.730 to defend ourselves or to defend some 00:53.730 --> 00:56.310 people that are under pressure by the 00:56.320 --> 00:59.920 afghans . So we are really doing our 00:59.930 --> 01:02.310 utmost to separate them . And we are 01:02.320 --> 01:04.542 asking the people of Afghanistan , this 01:04.542 --> 01:07.500 is one of my main objectives when I'm 01:07.510 --> 01:11.290 speaking with the afghan media to 01:11.430 --> 01:13.760 imprint this idea that if they are able 01:13.760 --> 01:16.038 to report the action of the insurgents , 01:16.038 --> 01:18.480 if they are able to uh push them away 01:18.480 --> 01:20.550 and we have seen cases of elders 01:20.560 --> 01:22.893 telling them , don't come to my village , 01:22.893 --> 01:25.004 don't come to my house , we know that 01:25.004 --> 01:27.004 you're going to bring evil , you're 01:27.004 --> 01:29.227 gonna bring violence and it takes a lot 01:29.227 --> 01:31.171 of courage for them to do this and 01:31.171 --> 01:33.282 sometimes they're able to do this and 01:33.282 --> 01:35.920 in other cases they can . And this is 01:35.920 --> 01:38.142 why we find ourselves sometimes in very 01:38.142 --> 01:40.750 tough situation and the insurgents have 01:40.750 --> 01:43.590 to realize that these horror tactics 01:43.600 --> 01:45.760 are not going to succeed because the 01:45.760 --> 01:47.982 people of Afghanistan has had enough of 01:47.982 --> 01:49.982 them , they do not want to see them 01:49.982 --> 01:52.093 back in power . And this is why in an 01:52.093 --> 01:54.260 election year like we have here , that 01:54.260 --> 01:56.371 we are very hopeful for the future of 01:56.371 --> 02:00.320 Afghanistan . We also have a report 02:00.320 --> 02:02.431 on the International Committee of the 02:02.431 --> 02:04.709 Red Cross saying that dozens of people , 02:04.709 --> 02:06.709 including women and Children , were 02:06.709 --> 02:10.540 killed by an american led airstrike um 02:10.590 --> 02:13.170 in Western Afghanistan . And any 02:13.170 --> 02:14.170 updates on that ? 02:17.430 --> 02:19.600 The investigation is still ongoing . I 02:19.600 --> 02:21.830 have seen my colleagues from operation 02:21.830 --> 02:24.150 enduring freedom on the american side 02:24.640 --> 02:26.510 leaving this morning for the 02:26.520 --> 02:29.040 investigation and I'm sure that as soon 02:29.040 --> 02:31.262 as they have an update , they will come 02:31.262 --> 02:33.318 up with it . But minutes ago , I did 02:33.318 --> 02:36.760 not hear anything from that side yet . 02:37.740 --> 02:39.573 Okay , and just , just in a more 02:39.573 --> 02:41.629 general sense , I've asked you about 02:41.629 --> 02:43.851 this before and I'm sure I will again , 02:43.851 --> 02:45.962 what about the use of air power in in 02:45.962 --> 02:48.210 Afghanistan ? Has there been any kind 02:48.210 --> 02:50.320 of adjustment to your use of it this 02:50.330 --> 02:50.760 year ? 02:54.840 --> 02:58.270 Indeed , airstrikes are very important 02:58.280 --> 03:02.220 in this kind of a geography . This 03:02.220 --> 03:05.480 is a very tough terrain and it is also 03:05.490 --> 03:07.960 very tough from a human perspective , 03:07.960 --> 03:10.570 in a sense that the insurgents are 03:10.570 --> 03:13.160 hiding in the population . The 03:13.160 --> 03:16.070 insurgents are very often conducting 03:16.070 --> 03:19.360 their attacks from the roofs of houses 03:19.360 --> 03:22.130 where you have people inside if not , 03:22.140 --> 03:24.690 well then they will retreat once we put 03:24.700 --> 03:27.450 pressure on them and they will run away 03:27.450 --> 03:30.460 to these uh to these houses or to these 03:30.460 --> 03:34.210 families . And when you have to use 03:34.220 --> 03:37.700 air power in such circumstances , you 03:37.700 --> 03:39.840 have to be extremely prudent in you . 03:39.840 --> 03:42.560 And using of course technology is on 03:42.570 --> 03:46.060 our side . However , you can 03:46.340 --> 03:49.700 You can never be 100% sure . Therefore , 03:49.710 --> 03:52.380 our instructions that are given from 03:52.380 --> 03:56.060 General McKiernan is that if we can ah 03:56.440 --> 03:59.650 deal with these insurgents in another 03:59.650 --> 04:02.240 way than using air power , we would be 04:02.240 --> 04:05.240 doing it . It's really a weapon of last 04:05.250 --> 04:08.460 resort . And we know that it's a 04:08.840 --> 04:11.390 it's extremely important that everybody 04:11.400 --> 04:13.622 from the soldier on the ground with his 04:13.622 --> 04:15.622 rifle in the ends , right up to the 04:15.622 --> 04:17.850 pilot in the air that they have a full 04:17.850 --> 04:20.550 understanding of the effect that these 04:20.560 --> 04:23.140 ordinance can have when when delivered . 04:23.150 --> 04:25.230 And we are quite confident in the 04:25.230 --> 04:27.580 judgment of our people . Sometimes 04:27.580 --> 04:29.802 mistakes or make are made . And when it 04:29.802 --> 04:32.160 happens , we will recognize our 04:32.160 --> 04:35.300 responsibility because we owe it to the 04:35.300 --> 04:37.500 people of Afghanistan . When these 04:37.510 --> 04:39.510 incidents are taking place , we are 04:39.510 --> 04:41.960 going down to the villages where 04:41.960 --> 04:44.140 unfortunately this uh these these 04:44.140 --> 04:46.140 unfortunate action would have taken 04:46.140 --> 04:48.307 place and we re establish contact . We 04:48.307 --> 04:50.960 build bridges , we speak to the elders 04:50.970 --> 04:54.190 and uh in some cases , nations would go 04:54.200 --> 04:57.850 out with ah payments to the 04:57.850 --> 05:01.380 family uh to uh try to alleviate the 05:01.380 --> 05:03.520 pain . But I have Children and I know 05:03.520 --> 05:05.750 that there's never enough money that 05:05.760 --> 05:09.500 would uh that would allow uh , this uh , 05:09.510 --> 05:11.820 this pain to go away . But we need to 05:11.830 --> 05:14.450 have that good communications with them 05:14.460 --> 05:16.404 even in those very tough moments . 05:16.840 --> 05:18.784 Right . And just , just as a final 05:18.784 --> 05:20.951 question with the meetings going on in 05:20.951 --> 05:23.690 Washington , is is there any sense in 05:23.690 --> 05:26.110 Afghanistan that this could be these 05:26.110 --> 05:28.221 are critically important ? Or is this 05:28.221 --> 05:30.460 something that is seen ? Something 05:30.460 --> 05:32.293 that's happening far away ? That 05:32.293 --> 05:34.404 doesn't have that much bearing on the 05:34.404 --> 05:33.960 ground ? 05:45.140 --> 05:46.140 Yeah . 05:55.040 --> 05:57.096 Hello ? I'm just checking if you can 05:57.096 --> 05:59.510 hear me two again . The weather was 05:59.510 --> 06:03.140 very crowded , crowded . 06:06.340 --> 06:08.600 I'm just checking again if you can hear 06:08.600 --> 06:12.540 me okay ? Yes , yes , I can hear you 06:12.540 --> 06:14.762 now . I'm not sure how much of the last 06:14.762 --> 06:16.984 one you had . Okay . Yeah . Just as the 06:16.990 --> 06:19.046 final question I wanted to ask you , 06:19.046 --> 06:20.990 what is the sense on the ground in 06:20.990 --> 06:23.120 Afghanistan concerning these meetings 06:23.120 --> 06:25.350 in Washington ? Is it a sense that 06:25.350 --> 06:27.350 that's something that people aren't 06:27.350 --> 06:29.750 really aware about it ? It's far away . 06:29.860 --> 06:31.860 It it's not going to have that much 06:31.860 --> 06:34.230 relevance or is there a lot of focus on 06:34.230 --> 06:38.160 it ? For 06:38.160 --> 06:40.720 those who are aware of international 06:40.720 --> 06:42.790 activity . Of course , there is a 06:42.790 --> 06:46.210 certain amount of hope put into these 06:46.220 --> 06:48.940 discussions because these political 06:48.950 --> 06:51.180 talks are really at the top of the 06:51.180 --> 06:53.840 decision making process and there are 06:53.850 --> 06:56.210 of course other steps before this would 06:56.210 --> 06:58.610 have an influence on our operations 06:58.610 --> 07:01.050 here , we are answering to a 07:01.050 --> 07:03.420 headquarters in bronze , um in the 07:03.420 --> 07:06.200 Netherlands , which goes to brussels 07:06.200 --> 07:10.120 and or through most to brussels 07:10.130 --> 07:14.040 and these uh levels of authority would 07:14.040 --> 07:17.620 have an impact . Would have something 07:17.620 --> 07:21.610 to say as to how are strategy could be 07:21.610 --> 07:23.499 changed , but for the moment it's 07:23.499 --> 07:26.260 business as usual for us , it is a 07:26.270 --> 07:28.381 tough situation still on the ground . 07:28.381 --> 07:31.280 We have very brave soldiers that are 07:31.330 --> 07:33.760 deploying to a lot of areas . All the 07:33.770 --> 07:36.190 regional commands are very busy . I 07:36.190 --> 07:39.780 just ended a conference call with all 07:39.790 --> 07:42.850 regional commands with Commander ISAF 07:43.140 --> 07:45.540 and we're hearing reports that action 07:45.540 --> 07:47.910 is happening all around . We continue 07:47.910 --> 07:50.240 to put pressure on the insurgents and 07:50.240 --> 07:52.407 we're continuing to support the Afghan 07:52.407 --> 07:54.296 National Security forces that are 07:54.296 --> 07:56.840 performing in a superb way throughout 07:56.850 --> 08:00.570 Afghanistan . Okay . Um great , thank 08:00.570 --> 08:02.910 you so much . Um one thing I'm not 08:02.910 --> 08:05.350 gonna ask you about now , but I I hope 08:05.350 --> 08:08.710 to uh going forward is , is your 08:08.710 --> 08:11.450 thoughts in terms of uh what has been 08:11.450 --> 08:13.506 learned about warfare and the war in 08:13.506 --> 08:16.290 Afghanistan , Is there any particular 08:16.300 --> 08:18.550 area that that that you have new 08:18.550 --> 08:21.140 insight into ? And also just on on the 08:21.140 --> 08:23.560 technical side , is is there some kind 08:23.560 --> 08:25.980 of technology that's been been put to 08:25.980 --> 08:28.480 use in Afghanistan that that you've 08:28.490 --> 08:29.879 learned something from ? 08:33.740 --> 08:35.740 Do you want this for later on , you 08:35.740 --> 08:37.796 know , this would be I don't want to 08:37.796 --> 08:39.851 just , you know , spring that one on 08:39.851 --> 08:42.073 you right now because I won't be used , 08:42.073 --> 08:44.240 I won't be using it in a piece today . 08:44.240 --> 08:46.462 But it's something I would want to talk 08:46.462 --> 08:48.684 to you about you know , next week or in 08:48.684 --> 08:52.250 the coming weeks for sure . And this 08:52.250 --> 08:54.361 question deals with counterinsurgency 08:54.361 --> 08:57.530 as opposed to regular warfare . This is 08:57.530 --> 09:00.060 a different kind of activity . There's 09:00.060 --> 09:02.116 no doubt about it and a lot has been 09:02.116 --> 09:04.060 written recently and the number of 09:04.060 --> 09:05.960 lessons learned from Iraq to this 09:06.440 --> 09:09.750 particular campaign , there are a lot 09:09.750 --> 09:12.080 of lessons learned and indeed I can I 09:12.090 --> 09:14.680 can talk to you about that . Okay ? Um 09:14.680 --> 09:17.930 thank you so much once again and I hope 09:17.930 --> 09:20.960 to talk to you next week . Okay . But 09:21.440 --> 09:23.330 yes indeed . Thanks . Bye .