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Taliban attacks Kabul hours after president's visit

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    General Jack Keane reacts

  • Duration 7:41
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Fox News alert new questions just hours after an unannounced presidential visit to Afghanistan.

Some now asking if President Obama is risking his own -- mission accomplished moment.

Welcome to a new hour of America live everyone I'm Megyn Kelly.

President Obama marked the one year anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death yesterday taking credit for a strategy he says is succeeding.

Traveling to Afghanistan and speaking to the nation from -- Painting a picture of a war ending more than two and a half years before the final US troops are scheduled to leave.

-- -- -- We broke the -- -- momentum.

We've built strong Afghan security forces.

We devastated Al qaeda's leadership taking out over when he of their top thirty leaders.

And one year ago from base here in Afghanistan.

Our troops launched the operation that killed Osama been -- The goal that I set to defeat al-Qaeda and denied a chance to rebuild it is now within our reach.

-- just ninety minutes after that speech this was the scene in the Afghan capital.

A deadly Taliban attack targeting foreigners housing compound seven people dead more than a dozen were injured.

Now the Taliban is warning that this is just the beginning.

Their spring offensive said to Begin.

In just hours.

General Jackie.

Is a -- military analyst and with me now general you have been over -- Afghanistan several times including recently.

And have been very vocal about the situation there the president seems to be saying we've made significant progress devastated Al qaeda's leadership.

Are within you know reach of defeating al-Qaeda altogether.

But has is sticking to his withdrawal time frame what say you.

-- we have.

Make significant progress with the surge forces -- the president authorized to be put in Afghanistan.

And point seven -- eleven we've largely defeated -- Palomar in the south and southwest of those search forces are.

We've got a lot of challenges in front of us Megan and they're driven by another decision the president may which of the polo surge forces out.

Prematurely in the minds of General Petraeus on the other commanders who were there.

And no surge forces all of them -- coming out by September.

They one of those sorts forces to be used in the east to accomplish the same devastating attack on a column on that they have used them in the south and southwest.

While we have 68000.

Forces remaining.

There's going to be fair amount of risk associated with will be able accomplish the same thing in the east that we did.

In the south and southwest.

And the president's also I think absolutely accurate about the Afghan national security forces they have -- huge progress.

And we're beginning to transition to them.

But I also know what the size and skill that force will be post warning fourteen.

Is now being debated in Washington DC.

And there's a lot of talk on the table that.

We will not -- and the 350000.

Afghan national security forces quite the contrary.

-- we'll bring those forces -- on the south around 230000.

That makes no sense in the face of the fact that we're pulling most of our forces out as.

Well well the question is then as some are raising -- on the left and the right today whether this this moment for the president Afghanistan could turn into.

A mission accomplished moment that was when President Bush went over to Iraq and before a mission accomplished banner.

Declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq and it turned out not to be the case does President Obama risk that same result.

When he goes over -- says what he said.

And then leaves according to this timetable that he is set up that you and many of the generals on the ground have been very critical of what.

-- solely of spit it rest because that timetable was arbitrary.

It's not based on conditions on the ground the enemy truly has a vote.

Mean no one anticipated -- was saying the fight to take his regime back.

In 2003.

At that it invasion but that was his decision the tell -- -- have decisions to make here as well.

-- and sort of the pakistanis.

The one thing about that speech that is so significant is the fact that he signed the strategic partnership agreement would Karzai's tell us -- and why we should care about that.

Well listen this is that this is the deal it -- prominence to the US Afghan relationship.

Post -- fourteen and it shows all the stakeholders inside Afghanistan and out.

That this remain Afghanistan remains US national interest that's a loud message -- to tell Obama received.

Because their propaganda -- is look the US is gone that washing our hands of this and Tony fourteen we're gonna have our way.

With Afghanistan again much as we did -- in the past so.

The Afghans want on this very much Megan in the summer of last year they had a lawyer at Georgia.

Which is running up up council of all the political leaders in Afghanistan come together one place.

The major proposal that came out of that is the United States and Afghanistan should agree in writing for a long term.

Relationship so you can understand how critical this is -- The people of Afghanistan I think also was critical to the -- -- to Pakistan and also to Iran.

There we still mean business.

How how does that.

Work in light of the president's announcements about the troop withdrawals and and here's just a sample of what he said on that -- last night stand by.

International troops will continue to train advise and assist the Afghans and fight alongside them when needed.

Well we will shift into a support role as Afghans step forward.

As we do our troops will be coming home.

Last year we removed 101000 US troops from Afghanistan.

Another 23000 will lead by the end of the summer.

After that reductions will continue at a steady pace would more and more of our troops coming home.

I was given and the numbers but yet we sign this partnership is the partnership enough to deter the Taliban.

The document by itself mill but it.

It sends.

-- to everybody in the region that we are committed a we have to back that up what action his what we're concerned about.

The president is talking about the stay behind force any mention a couple of missions they're they're gonna provide training counterterrorism.

Our concern is simply this.

The generals know what that stay behind for should be in terms of the missions it should -- form and the support troops you need for those forces.

That number's probably going to be around 40000 that'll hold -- about because that's certainly general Allen's problems to make that recommendation.

When general Alston made that recommendation.

In Iraq at 246000.

We wound up with no forces and now we have political turmoil in a rock so clearly.

The on scene commanders and all those who have close to the situation Afghanistan -- very concerned about what will that stay behind force B.

Most of us suspect there will be a stay behind force.

Which it should be of sufficient scale and purpose.

To accomplish the mission is that the generals believe -- to be accomplished to sustain the gains that we've made and not to squander those games.

Because we're not willing to.

People -- -- ten or 151000 forces there and meet the requirements that are obvious to people who in -- no.

Right sustain the gains that we've already made and obviously there are risks to the president politically if that does not happen.

Given the backdrop of last evening's remarks general -- always a pleasure speaking yet.

Thank you so much there.

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