Transcripts For CSPAN2 Today In Washington 20121121

It was more of a challenge properly getting into the mindset of enabling than a real challenges that make sense. The proof search string is 362,000. Where are we at the moment . Without the full strength. Isnt it to hand over completely to the ansf some capabilities they simply will not have you they will not have their support and they wont have the helicopters. How do we assume they can take full responsibility . Youre absolutely right. They dont have all of those now in some of those higher end of this scale calculations have been provided. Weve got until the end of 2014 to gradually shift the Training Program so that it increasingly they are able to do more and more. So thats training shifting program from infantry skills to medical evacuation planning, some of the higher command field with the more and more upstream towards the end co in the prior command. Youre not going to train them to fight, are you . They do have some attack helicopters. We need to distinguish between nato and the Training Program and Bilateral Programs including particularly an american one in which they are working with the afghans on the program. So obviously the end of 2014 at some time away and we need to take stock again. The intention is to have a much greater capability in terms of skills and equipment to do their own enabling. If i may come you are quite right to highlight the game air force is the element represents the greatest challenge. I think that is selfevident and is in the Public Domain at the Afghan Air Force will not be anything developed until 2017. So attack about 2014 for Ground Forces army and police principally. But to the twotier force the debris that knowledge is 2017. That is not to say will be fully developed by then, but it is to acknowledge the challenge that any nation is faced with when developing an air force. And how is that in 16 of 17 . That a silly subject of ongoing planning with the nato headquarters. But you are brave. Part of it is making sure the effort we make now in security terms reduces the level of threat that would require that sort of sophisticated response. So there is a calculus here thats got a variety of pieces including development of the air force, the different local tax fix the afghans use as opposed to the do what isaf do their business as we disengage and is described in the transition process. Its about locally security solutions. All of this is playing out in the period between now and 2014. And mariot has pointed out its not been looked at as an institution. One final question. If you say physical strength, if you see the target, other than the pacing of the afghan transition, whats keeping you awake when you think about transition at the moment . Just a correction. We are at full strength for the 352,000 number. There still are training deficit. They are not all fully trained and there will be some attrition at the time. So its tough to bring the force to capacity. From my good as a generator and trainer to the National Spectrum if he will double us to the effect on the ground. I would merely highlight that in the early days, this is very much afghan treatment, we focused on quantity, filling the gaps, putting quantity out into the field. What weve started to do now in earnest is consolidate that by which i mean introduce my Tactical Training and specifically introduce collective command level training so we bring the formation from the field, put them to repackage, which is hopes to consolidate and improve the ansf ability. But it wouldnt necessarily keep me awake at night, but its a very obvious challenge. Its the next step in developing the ansf. It all sounds so perfect. Everything is just as it should. It doesnt keep you awake at night . I can run a herb range of operation issues, but in ansf, what is really important to me is the mentum we have not delivered to an afghan system, i absolutely stand by that remark. That momentum has continued beyond 2014 in a virtuous way and that we are to know the International Community are determined to do the end it is making sure the pull through beyond 2014 in terms of the momentum so that the security gains we have made can be consolidated, the security gains we have assisted Afghan Security forces are absolutely understood so that on the ground the protection of the population, the space to develop is given sufficient oxygen. Thats what keeps me awake at night, delivering the promise weve weve all made to her afghan friends. Thats very positive. We will come back to the editing and because of the things i think that will come up the rest of the afternoon issue havent mentioned. Just a point of history. I just had an office there in my office who spent the previous couple of months actually flying with the Afghan Air Force. Theyre quite impressive except they didnt have to follow the road so they can see the street sign to navigate the helicopter. My question is for stevenson. I can muster to host Brigadier General sharp and i was very impressed with him as determination and its obvious than televisions. But pressing ahead it is very clear that the proportion of the people around him like income from the country. Are you satisfied in terms of aviation language, but no such connection the population at the afghan army are seen by the people as their forces rather than Occupying Forces . Again, for my kabul and of the telescope, i was again privilege [inaudible] sorry come i didnt hear that. I was delicious well to meet sharon shark. Hes a particularly dynamic come owlish tech to the leader i think i would say. You are right to point for dominance, maybe a slight imbalance at the moment of the middle ring in the north. Those are good quality people from what weve always tried to do in the selection of offices is include not so much of the passion, but the southern passion specifically. There is an issue there for two reasons. One is geographically its a little more difficult to pry them away from their homeland to attend training. But thats a very real issue. The second is they are perhaps more entrenched in the place of origin they ethnically are different from the others. Were just about to come back to this issue in any event. We will leave that for now. Yeah, i wanted to ask about dependencies in terms of doing some of this stuff. But can i be clear what she was saying about the plan is to ask the security transition by the end of 2013, which can then consolidate itself . President ial elections in 2014 sawyer point about conditions based withdrawal following that reaction to longerterm agreement statements, development horses, whatever, depending partly on circumstance. But as i understand it is a transition plan. Is that right . Shall i take that . Theres two aspects to that. The International Community has said, ive said, nato has said that the Current Mission will come to an end at the end of 2014. The pace at which the transition proceeds within that and stop his conditions based. So im afraid to think i modeled up my tranches. We are in greek. We expect four to be announced before the end of year and five will be the one that comes in the middle of 2013. Exactly the timing and pace and speed up the implementation will depend on conditions both at the tactical level and strategic level. But the 2014th end date is fixed. But we have also said that nato chicago summit of the North Atlantic Council is repeated since is that nato will run a new trading advisory operation after that. So when operation will come to an end and that will be at a time when the Afghan Government is in full control of its own sovereignty. The current u. N. Security Council Resolution basis for the current operation will come to an end. Youll need a newly legal basis for the new operation. Who would enforce agreements for the 1940s and the North Atlantic Council is just engaging with the Afghan Government on what the shape of that mission would be. So theres a mixture of conditions based in the implementation and then there is the beginning of the negotiation about what the next mission will be. But as i said, it will not be a combat mission. The wellbutrin advisory mission, which is part of the longterm commitment of the International Community to afghanistan way out over the transformation decade of the tokyo summit this summer. So theres going be amick shared in a fact, military capability building. But the International Community and a much broader sense is doing for the very substantial problems of quality develop and comment governments in afghanistan and the individual countries like our own are doing in Bilateral Programs, which is part of that whole approach to afghanistan populated by the Afghan Government. One last question about how endearing and sustainable all of the processes. Currently there is a dependency we have a dependency. Isaf has a dependency. Particularly the contractors in order to get supplied material. The question of how sustainable they will be logistically beyond 2014, some people will now say effectively pushes giving money to the taliban. Thats one end of the spectrum of the argument. Another is going to contract outside the country. So you party got to debate about where the contractors play in the discussion. So what is your view of the dependent is the country will have in terms of being able to maintain logistical supply against your plot . Are you talking in terms of the support of the Afghan National security . Yeah, absolutely. Up i can only make a judgment, the effort in terms of looking a Nato Training Mission in afghanistan to absolutely isolate those parts of the Afghan Security operators to do with server support, combat support severe area function as much as the great deal now being placed on my in terms of the schools required to support out in the project development required to deliver it. So that is seriously addressed as we know from transition at the front end of the afghan fighting for us or is more weird area constitutes pizza that is a development that is now in training. Insofar as support to government and contracts as well outside. In the past two and half months ago, and tma had really ratcheted up its effort to get ahead of two specific challenges for the afghans. Momus Infrastructure Management and the other was contract management to relatively technical and sophisticated areas which we have been doing very much on their behalf. But its very aware of the need to get the afghan are not and i cant speak to a lot of effort is going into them. One of the things is about leadership in their ability. Thereve been comments in terms of officer training and so on. Can you Say Something about where the leadership is being addressed and how its being addressed . There are a range of Leadership Development projects, specifically in u. K. Terms he heard the terms they invest in the sand. The Afghan National Academy Project for that is now well in training, signed up by the Prime Minister, so i think that is emblematic that we take in terms of leadership to bring this forward and pull through this issue i spoke about earlier, were keeping the momentum going but is now thing to the transformation decade. There is a continuity developing which im confident about. International community is spending 234 million on a site to the west 20 kilometers west of the center city of kabul to be known as the Afghan National defense university. This is a complex which allows a number of schools. One b. The academy sponsored by this country. As the National Military academy of afghanistan, which is very much the op sir training based on the west point model. The Major Academy will be based and on the basis that is developing relatively junior to middle ranking leadership, that is a Huge Investment and one i was enormously courage by as they watched it develop. That wont fully be in operation until the end of 2013 when its do or where the Officers Academy will take us for scores. Can you Say Something about how the generational change processor describing cubs are insisting the future forces faced with the reconstruction of reconciliation process because there is a worry some express about people coming back. But theyre coming back with expect patience and are being put back into a process. Is there any conflict between these processes and how is that working with the present structures developing after 2014 and how does it affect the plains beyond . Which relate to start . I was just going to say maybe two names. I think those are different issues actually. There is the nato reconciliation nato reintegration program. Those tend to be relatively junior. I think the numbers are now Something Like five to in the country. They tend to be people who have gone into the insurgency about the tivoli on skilled. They are being reabsorbed into a wide variety of different afghan life, some into the Security Forces command assignment to civilian life and back into their community. Im not sure if anybody bearing on the developments of an nco or junior officer. The point is going to say on that is that is not sent and its only going to start in 2013 and jan. They are already seen it very much more effective, competent a lot of young afghan officers. The North Atlantic Council was in afghanistan 10 days ago. We visited the Training Center. Something under the instruction be done in afghanistan. We train the trainers and a no trade other afghans. But we are steadily trying to do come a week, isaf is put in place at the end of 2014 the ability of Afghan Forces to stay in regenerate themselves by giving them skills they will then be able to communicate to other people. Certainly in the Training Center for process is very underway. This was helped enormously by the fact that we internationally a reflectiveness in the u. K. With the office academy. We are very deliberately feeding weapon trained afghan officers, those who attend to west point back into their system and that should create the soul generation regeneration of afghan expertise pizza but not positive step, there is no fact i will happen. In terms of the reintegration, im not as sure about. I think the exact same observation for the peace training academy, the Training Center in lashkaretaiba by mli ministry of interior who are posted there, which is a huge chain. I think also as you see the academies are on their way in the meantime meantime a lot of onthejob training is done with mentorship and enticing but this seems to build that experience. Of course he batted this for quite some time. So that abasing over time you got young officers now have been engaged with this for seven plus years, but actually they been gaining in strength and experience over that time. Can i ask you one other area, which is about health care, medical care for afghans themselves and sustainability of that process. Currently its independent pollster in the country, but in terms of medevac capability in the future and what will happen a sustainability to be with her treat themselves should they be engaged in operations in the future because figures as dictated medical processes we have in place will not be there. If i may, two things im not. One is has ever seen previously that has been identified as a key enabler for the current level of fighting. We very much that they may not be the same level of citing after 2014. But again it is one of the areas where we are busy training afghans to take over more and more capabilities themselves undone there will be an issue of equipment, helicopters come in medevac and on. Nato is not addressing that directly, but some countries are bilaterally. The question of where that wouldve got two by 2015 when the current isaf forces finished some way down the track and will be addressed again before them. But the planning for the future nato mission does not engage as i said training and assisting. Or we are in the meantime training as many afghan medics to operate at the type to go level at the point of wounding if you will in that effort will continue to accelerate. You have touched on a very valid point that in terms of more expensive, more ambitious enablers, clearly planning is underway to ensure that the transition takes into account the capability of say the United States, united kingdom. We know from our own forces and medical work what that process runs that i know that some regions are capable of casualties themselves. But it is asking the general question. Representative at the North Atlantic Council. He said in your evidence they would be no combat mission after the end of 2014. Could you define combat mission . I can explain what its not. What i mean is what do you and the North Atlantic Council suggest will not be possible at the 2014 . For example, mentoring on the ground Afghan National forces, police or army with one of our officers actually with a Company Commander or Battalion Commander were more sensitive enough probably tummies to bring my neck and from the special force operations. I am worried by that definition of what is a combat mission because they can be many things to many people in many nations as you know the north atlantic count till. The North Atlantic Council asked that this would not be a combat mission. It would be training and enticing and assisting. The navy nations who are willing to combat in afghanistan wont be part of the nato issue. What nato is doing at the moment is building up and they just passed. It is just an expect excepted. It is the socalled North Atlantic Council that starts the process. There is nothing in there that is different from chicago, which is what i just said. What that means is i expect nato will be ready to train, advise and assist Afghan Forces engaged in counterterrorism operation. They wont be doing not themselves, so they will not be going out aggressively and engaging in combat. They will be training them in enabling them to not combat support and participating themselves. What that means then is to get down it too more detail something that needs to be defined in the process now just starting. So we will be looking for operations. We will be looking for engagements. I understand that to mean that we want not have nato forces including British Forces in the nato operation going on a combat aggressively and anywhere where we have forces or anybody else for that under the operate of people find themselves in a dangerous situation. The brigadier said the there is a shortage of helicopters and attack aircraft in the Afghan Air Force. Would you counter combat helicopter has been engaged in combat . If you british [inaudible] so therell not be british violence and combat helicopters after 2014 . Yes, it is very clear and they have said they say they will not be engaged in combat operations in the nato mission in afghanistan after 2014. The reason why we say that if the Defense Committee understood the difference between the United States and the british approach to mentoring. The british are purchasing your offices on the board implies that mentoring is actually on the ground with companies battalions. The american approach is further back en masse but we are slightly worried about, there will be a difference of actually interpretation of what is a combat mission. Thats why i asked the question. I went at it because the chairman may bring it up if he wants to at the end. What happens to the hospital at camp bastian after 2014 . That depends on a number of issues. The ownership of bastian overtime is part of the longerterm development of ascii and infrastructure, which is not yet cleared out nor decided upon. It will be a bilateral arrangement. We have some provisions bear. Do you understand that . I will probably differ that. Mav 362 something is that what you said . Yes, in total. [inaudible] lets address these questions. That question is not totally fielded yet. That is in the training system. What do i mean by that . It has yet to be on the ground in some cases. It has yet to be placed on the ground. There were 252,000 at the time. I am sure in my own mind that we can see clearly to 2017. Those are being maintained. In 2014, one of the Afghan Security forces will they be able to delegate . That is the whole basis of our approach. That in everything that we do in terms of Security Operations in the field or whether it is in Training Systems that we transfer the responsibility to afghans. We have already heard about this and that encourages them to continue. Combat support through special schools as part of that. The Work Transition meant Something Different to me as it did before. We were involved in Training Institution transitions. That played into your questions but by the end of 2014 at the latest, and there was an intent to bring this forward, possibly by as much as a year. The afghans will be running their own institutions. The nine week training package to train a warrior. The afghans will be in charge by that time. It will include the police. They are somewhat behind the army. I would say that corruption means Different Things to different people. What i saw in afghanistan was an absolute determination, albeit from the more senior raking afghans with the army army and the police, first of all to understand was considered to be acceptable behavior and to eradicate it from the ranks if it existed. It is probably common to the nonindigenous afghan on how local businesses conducted. It is a stark difference. There was a pragmatism and the afghan society. It is the tolerable or intolerable nature of it. What is really corrupting affecting the will of the people. Our advisors would identify something and we would kind of go in and deal with it. And we are increasingly dealing with it. Moving them away from this. That is not to say that it is corruption free. It is not. In terms of what is tolerable, it is much more in balance than it was several years ago. What identifications for that at the moment you have and what would be the implications after 2014 . I think what was referred to as the Afghan National army. There are quite a few questions about that that has risen over the last few years. Of course, the police, the local Police Actually have a combined Security Force and it sometimes acts as a check and a balance. It is fair and almost acts as a check and balance. It is not a completely bad thing, but it does equal itself out. In relation to the attrition rates against a target of 1. 4 , how is that . It goes without saying that we have discovered further detail for the afghans that were in the fight, the south and east, the attrition rates were higher than those based in the north and western capital. And Attrition Working Group is being set up under the chairmanship of the vicechief and just to demonstrate how seriously the afghans are taking us. The progress is being made. When an army is in a fight, when they are still getting their heads around rotations in and out of the fight to read and so on, the impact is inevitably going to be higher than when they have eventually got themselves with some form of rotation, which they havent quite done yet. That is, i think, that is the principal reason why we see people being absent. We are creating an Afghan National army. And a lot of them feel homesick. Thank you. A little bit about what you said on 352,000 whatever. This question, i just want to be very clear. Has someone agreed that the providing will be funded to sustain the 3500 whatever it is . Is that right . The International Community will produce Something Like 4. 1 billion in 2017 for the afghanistan Security Forces. So the army and army and the police will do with the manifestations. That was worked out. We know there will be a gap which is due to come down towards 2017. How that is going to be funded has not been addressed. But i think it will be addressed by right away. Right. Would be committed to was 4. 1 billion and of course, by then, the afghans will be in control and the funding has been committed subject to things like delivering the accountability and Good Governance and the other things but the actual numbers be part of the Afghan Government at the time and the dialogue that is part of its. And has not been clear that there will be 320,000 until 2017. [inaudible] i am sure that you are aware that two soldiers have just died and it has just been announced publicly. So two soldiers were killed by a man purportedly an Afghan National police uniform. Could i ask, in your opinion, general, of the 56 attributed people who are meant to be wearing uniforms, i dont like the phrase green on blue, i call it murder, but, of that 56, are they all caused by the taliban . Are they all tried skating in on it . Is that the taliban only or not . There are reasons for these attacks that are complex. There is no question in my mind that this is an insurgent tactic. We think deeply, i think deeply about this every day. As does my International Counterparts and my afghan counterparts as well. So in the collective sense of owning this problem, we are all aligned. It is difficult to deal with. You know as well as i do how hard it is to determine what might happen in circumstances, but we are all determined. The International Community is determined to come to grips with this. You know, i think, the measures we have taken from the top of the structure and the Afghan Government to come to terms with this. There is a four step approach that looks at how we prevent this and how we educate everybody to deal with it and what training requirement is before people do this and what the protection becomes to come to terms with it. I think that you have been briefed on this approach. And i also think that you know about the institutional approach to veteran afghans and Security Forces, which include all sorts of screens and medical screenings and biometric medical collection looking at the training and how this is. You can never have a perfect system. Because people take the opportunities that present. But we are all thinking about it. They are definitely the hardest to bear. What is really reassuring is that those afghans that we work closely with are definitely at my level. I think that that is being described, we were pushed by them to grip it and take it under control. A lot of that is part of what is in place now. It is a big thing and for them to go through that process to get up to speed, that has been interesting. We saw a number of occasions where they were proactive and trying to mitigate the results. And also the details of today will come out in due course. So the answer to the question as you are not sure what percentage of these attacks are actually the taliban. You used the word insurgent. Do you actually mean taliban . Yes, it is employed by the [inaudible] and you never know who the enemy are . Its very difficult. Okay, i wont get further down is because we know where we are going on this matter. But can i ask, how your mentoring has changed as a result of these attacks over the last few months . I mean, i know what you are putting in place, but the british Strategy Tactics and mentoring approach, which is trying to stand back, it is really very much encouraging the involvement of people on the ground. How are you dealing with this dichotomy . I think we have adjusted our tactics and techniques. The real thing is viewed as we are putting ourselves back together in dealing with this problem as one. We dont want to see this as anything that would divide us. Exactly what the trader is, it is sometimes difficult to divine. What we are clear is that we dont want to open up and allow and surgeons to have the upper hand. If anything, it has pushed us closer together. At the top level, i understand that they load the this at your level is much as possible. Put yourself down to a private soldier situation. I ask you how these sort of attacks have impacted on the morale, not as highlevel commanders, but at the low level as soldiers that have to actually work with these people without the backup that you actually have. What is the morale like with regard to this matter . They are convinced of the purpose they are achieving. They were there every day. And they firmly believe that they will be able to look after this in due course. The afghans were never the one that conducted this. It adds to the level of pressure, but it didnt take away from the morale of what they were doing. Indeed, everyone has mentioned those who continue on with those tasks. It is actually more reassuring since i came back on the ground. So the answer to the question is that morale is largely undiminished by these attacks. Because the people on the ground feel that they are so important that they can take hits like this and they are prepared to take this risk for the greater good . Particularly, we are thinking of their families that they are going to be working with the Afghan National Security Forces. Is that not part of that throughout the country . [talking over each other] two i detect that there is a tendency to believe that the British Armed forces significantly place at the tactical level, in my experience, which includes commanding a better description, there were hundreds and thousands of afghan recruits. Those who had possibly presented those in this regard that are even trained and so on. The overriding view across the nation was to get them alongside the afghans. And i saw the u. S. Officers were shocked that there was an absolute desire for those on the day to get back in. If they stepped back and away, and doug touched on this in proximity to the afghans and the intimacy to the afghans, very often the best form of defending against this form of attack. General, will you be able to achieve a successful combat troop by the end of 2014 . I certainly hope so. [laughter] let me give you a statement. I thought you did get a statement. This will be the root biggest redeployment operation in a generation. There is a lot of equipment and material. We need to understand how much we have to move over this. Matter of time. The physical withdrawal, the overall general impact of the withdrawal. Will we be able to be successful . Yes, we will. Of course from the National Operation is synchronized inside a wider operation. Great work is being done to deliver that coordination. I wonder if i could ask if we are seriously to believe on january 1, 2015, but the Afghan National Security Forces will be sustainable . Yes, i think that we have to make that so. It has been described in terms of the way that we want to make them viable end of the transition process to deliver them. [inaudible] man ask you, what is the latest about the uk troops from earlier in 2014 . I am not aware of any thinking on that. And i think that is something that you really need to ask somebody other than me. I am focused on the later events. Im sure the committee has, but the transition shows that there will be opportunities next year and the government has announced some 500 will be withdrawn next year. I think we probably need asked the defense secretary. Things can change, i recognize that. The Prime Minister has said what we are looking for is at the end of 2014. I can reassure you and tell you that it will be delivered. Have we heard anything about the possibility of the United States in particular, . [inaudible] i dont speak for the u. S. Government, but i am sure they they will be taking further decisions internet search. Okay, thank you. How do you think this would be at this stage . I think it goes back to the other question. Nato has ardrey said it will have an advisory assistance and that wont be the only thing that will be there. It will be the International Communitys overall support for economic development, Human Development and so on. And that would be a very important part of what we will be able to do, and there will be a Bilateral Program as well. The council has Just Launched the planning process and we associate with that six of our partners that are particularly keen and said they would like to take part in the future. So they will be involved in that from now on and other nations may choose to do so and work with them and decide casebycase. The next stage is for the military authority, i expect that to be decided sometime next year. Then we will get down to the detailed process of the North Atlantic Council at which point the commanders can stop deploying those things. So it will be a longterm process with a lot of conceptualization for next year. But i think the final disposition is who is going to do what. [inaudible] [talking over each other] the visible clip is 2014 . I think we have yet to take the position on it and announced that he will be part of the contribution to 70 Million Pounds in the fact that the sustainability, they have announced that they will be part of the Afghan National army and they have not yet decided in detail, and i think they havent decided quite yet the nature of the contribution in 2016, which they will find later perhaps. In terms of specific capabilities were armed forces, no decision has been made . Yes, that is how i understand it in 2014. I think those decisions are not immediate. So the afghan homes they are saving afghan homes . The exclusive conditions are not yet clear. But im sure that we would not commit any support sources to the training unless we were sure of that. A few questions about the physical withdrawal of the british troops. And it may well be that you will have to say that plans have not yet been made. Will be responsible for the practical withdrawal of the uk troops . Well, perhaps i should start by describing the approach is redeployment challenge. Of course, its not just about what is delivered in terms of redeployment, its how its managed once it gets back to the uk. So there is a bigger approach to this, there are a number of apparatuses to manage this to oversee this. And so far as my contribution to redeployment is concerned, calibrating how much equipment and how much material we need to extract over the next two years or so is clear to me. I know what the physics of that look like. I also know how im going to get it back in terms of roots, whether it is through pakistan or the northern areas, and i also know what that material in terms of its Movement Looks Like in terms of this or that. The coordination is forward into the joint force support. Because that is the headquarters that fit. So what is going on at the moment, well, there is quite a little bit on the material that we do not meet and that is being probably looked at. And we are making sure that we do this properly in terms of biometric checks to get this equipment back. And the whole apparatus is well understood in uk terms. But in and of itself, its not just about the deployment. Nato also has a role to play in terms of coordinating and synchronizing how we get this out and what is required to get this out and the Border Control management that we need to apply to get this out. So this is not simply just me having a group of plants. It is being able to have a broader nato plan and it must connect which is the route that we use by air or sea back to the uk to deliver a considerable amount of equipment and necessary back in the uk. Okay. Are you due to start Detailed Planning this month . We are due to start it for a long time. The major redeployment is on the first of october because in transition, we do not get any redeployment until certain aspects are complete. So that process will now continue. It will build build speed and the speed is directly related to the progress we make on the ground in transition and the bandwidth and the attitudes that we need to use. There is quite of lot of physics in and medicine we are making a big effort to apply science to this redeployment. [inaudible] i am confident that by the end of this year or early next year, that will be delivered. All right. Do you think norton will be able to cope with the withdrawal . Yes, i do. It is about what the country. This is a National Attitude in terms of the side of it. What i do is make sure that the redeployment of equipment will not in any way hinder the military operation that equipment is supposed to support. There is an equilibrium here about supporting 2014 and how much equipment we can take out. And that is a balance between address and scrutinize on a regular basis. We know how frustrating some of this we know how frustrating this is. The one i think about the number of those available to me [inaudible] there is a Training Mission that has a documented principle but with the afghans need and what they dont need. But there is a lot more work that needs to be done with nato, in particular with military structures. That is the major plan. [inaudible] [inaudible] we are very keen that nato is that part of the key . And may not be the decisive one, but it could be part of it. Okay. We need more people to help reduce this fantastic logistical feature. You have argued that evidence that we have permission to serve this and allowed us to take place . A little bit more detail for you on that. It could be small as 20 people. You have a certain fleet of vehicles that need prepared for redeployment and that is a certain set of specialists. It is focused on the immediate problem episodically so that we can deal with these technical challenges as they come along. Has been advanced sufficiently when they want to leave a gift to the afghans, that calculus is part of a deal of negotiation, but i actually understand how much equipment we have to give back. It is the majority of equipment because this equipment is required for future proofing the army [inaudible] i am sure this could be part of the future operations. So you have this as part of the core . Just. Statement we would like that, please. Can we avoid in leaving equipment behind and perhaps giving it to the Afghan National Security Forces, can we avoid leaving them with an enormous logistical problem of having to deal with the hodgepodge of Different Things . We would not stress the technical capacity to maintain this equipment, but we are making efforts to improve that side of the operators. But i am sure that that will not be a huge issue. That is the logic behind the training in afghanistan. They are part of the same. But they accept. Okay, do you have anything you want to ask about . , a final question is this. The question of whether after we leave, it will descend into civil war, it is obviously one. It is on the tip of everybodys tongue. What do you think that we need to do to ensure that it doesnt descend into civil war after we leave . I think the important thing to say is that the afghans longterm future does not depend entirely on a military instrument. It depends on a wider support for the International Community is going to give to that community, which will remain with real developmental needs. Getting support from the International Community. We have support of that process than there is to be International Part of that process there are a lot of other actions and its not my job and i could mislead you, but what i will say is that what is done with isaf is a small part of that longerterm picture, i think we need to continue to look very closely with engagement in making the transition work according to the plan and finetuning it as we go along with the Afghan Government listening to the working wisdom, making it work, holding onto the accountability that we have agreed upon and we have good reason to make the changes. And then i dont want to speak for the general who can speak for himself, but we need to make sure that that is post2014, as part of the mission. We anticipate 2014 and there will be no more insurgency. It will be a fairly safe environment with high levels of development. But it does mean that we are pretty confident the plan we put in place is working in a way that we and envisaged. Especially with the support of the International Community, it is going pretty well according to that time. But it depends rather heavily on the quality of governance in afghanistan. And the implication is that if that goes wrong, there is nothing much that armed forces can do to put that back onto the right track. You have spoken in terms of inputs, rather than in terms of the fundamental quality of the governance of afghanistan itself. Is that right . Well, what im saying is that the governance of afghanistans, they will be getting support alongside the military and security support that we are giving in this country. And afghanistan now, will not be standing on its own on any of these issues, but equally, the responsibilities are in a line with the Afghan People and government. And they all have support from a few different areas. Okay, and that is why we have made such a profound investment in Afghan Security. Because unless there is a secure environment, the space for that to occur it is simply not delivered. So when i view this security effort, not only is it in the terms of what we have done so far, which we can see the results of on the ground today, but taking longerterm view about the momentum of the Afghan Security agencies to allow this development to occur and keep this moving in the right direction. To give it the action that needs to allow accommodation to occur. After we leave, to whom will the Security Force that we have created bewail . Well, i would rather hope it would be loyal to the Afghan Government. That doesnt mean you need to look