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Impact of Afghan tensions on US troop withdrawal

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    All-Star panel weighs in

  • Duration 4:47
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This is clearly.

The at the beginning of it the spring.

Offensive that Taliban engages -- and we are I think fully confident.

That combined with the Afghan army we can confront that threat.

I think you know what you saw -- how you saw them react today with very very -- yesterday were very little help from us.

I think is an indicator that that strategy is sound the French for Ryder Cup were helicopters we provided a couple of helicopters but this was very much an Afghan show.

Pentagon -- and the Afghan commandos led to counter -- on a massive coordinated strike around the country of Afghanistan in three different provinces.

Targeting western embassy embassies NATO headquarters Afghan parliament the Presidential Palace.

Fifteen people died ten US special operations soldiers were wounded.

After -- car bomb in one area we're back with the panel Steve.

That we do see increases in attacks as Defense Secretary Panetta was mentioning come the spring.

Out with this current environment about US troop withdrawal pending.

How does this play.

Well this is there are these the two separate questions you've raised one I think is is.

Right that you know in terms of how did they perform talked to people who are familiar with what was going on on the ground.

Said that this actually could have been much worse and that the Afghan troops perform very well and I didn't get the sense that that was sort of spin like you know people have -- the -- everything's fine.

It -- that this was really passed and they did well in this past the second question now.

Is the politics of this and I think anytime you have this kind of a large scale attack particularly something that seem to have taken.

Many months in the planning stages it's going to cause people here elected officials and others.

To wonder what we're doing -- should we be there should be should we stay.

And why haven't we been able to uncover these things in their developmental stages -- may -- in a way that we have.

In the past I think those are serious questions that deserve serious answers.

The one cautionary note that this I think -- tax cents more than anything else is is that if you pull out quickly.

And then -- that temptation I think Republicans and Democrats alike.

This was this was planned and executed by the -- Or they are as Mike -- called congressional tells testimony a veritable arm of the ISI Pakistan's intelligence network.

It doesn't solve the problem if you pull out quickly that's the bigger.

And -- just wait until the time when you -- us troops struck down.

-- -- thinking about this is in terms of public opinion public opinion is growing against the war among Republicans as well as Democrats but you've got a situation.

That I think means that nothing is gonna change in the policy -- because the president has to stabilize Afghanistan is gonna get out and he wants to get -- possible.

And you can't have a Republican presidential candidate arguing to get out any faster you can -- criticizing the president for for handling it and how he's managing the war.

But so you don't have any.

Kind of pull out now I'm faction out there with the exception of the president's own democratic base which I think is gonna give him a pass until after the election.

Charles but I still what it tells us about the war some events are truly demoralized -- like when.

An Afghan soldier turns and shoots an American has happened a few months a few weeks ago.

And is that happening off that is demoralizing did you figure but we ever gonna have a stable and reliable -- but this event -- not -- -- It was an attempt of the -- we Jihad is here to do -- Tet offensive.

In the Tet offensive actually.

Was in a miserable failure -- -- -- com.

Militarily but psychologically was a success because of demoralized Americans.

It was the beginning of the end of the war but it shouldn't be in this case the Afghan defensive force is actually acted well on their own.

And showed a lot of resiliency yes it show that the the that the bad guys have infiltration.

Are able to penetrate into cities and have allies -- -- but we knew that.

What we weren't aware it was how good the Afghan commandos were in defending themselves so I think there's got to be a plus in terms of looking and our prospects of.

His success in Afghanistan.

-- or yes or no do increased attacks this spring speed up withdrawal -- Now I hope -- but it's possible.

The political environment is at that place yet if she's right about the democratic base that could be pressure that the president would stand on November.

If if there are increased -- you'll hear it louder voices from the democratic base that the president wanting the base is loyal and cynical -- -- attack.

Its own president in the run up to an election no matter what it.

It stands on principle only if Republicans -- an office that is it for the panel but states yeah.

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