ground, not arbitrary timetables and making sure that we have an integrat integrated strategy that puts all of our power in a way that s sustainable and cost effective. and making sure we have that integrated process is a big key to this strategy. having troops is just prolonging withdrawal, is that what that is? no. again, we re not doing this based on a timetable, but can say on the ground and making sure that we re protecting american lives and defeating terrorists. i think that it s very clear when the president laid that out on monday. hold on. wait. i have a second question on that. whatever the final objective is, is it really worth the reported trillion dollars that it would cost? isn t there anything we might be able to spend that on. i don t think you can put a price tag on american lives. sarah, one more question on afghanistan. the president talked about putting more pressure on pakistan to play a constructive role. but he also talked about having a new closer str
there are several different networks there, haqqani, isis, taliban, is the priority of this administration and the strategy that it will pursue until it is accomplished to eliminate all those terrorist cells in either afghanistan and pakistan and only then can victory be achieved and that be described as honorable. i m not going to get down into that. i think that s a question that s best answered by general mattis and the department of defense. what i can tell you is that the ultimate goal is a peaceful settlement between the government of afghanistan and the taliban that protects our interest and protects american lives. that s the focus and i ll let secretary mattis determine and lay that out for you more specifically. sarah, i ve got a follow-up on the first of all, if what we re doing in afghanistan has been working, why are we still there and if it hasn t been working, what are we planning to do differently moving forward. i think one of the things that is different is th