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Insider attacks in Afghanistan on the rise

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    What's behind frequency of incidents?

  • Duration 5:21
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The Pentagon preparing to wind down America's mission in Afghanistan in 2013.

And 2014.

Afghan forces are set to take on more responsibilities.

For their country's security.

As American forces withdraw but our troops -- the Afghans are putting themselves.

At increasing risks of insider attacks.

Last year the of 313 Americans who died in Afghanistan 61 were killed by men.

Wearing Afghan security uniforms the frequency of these insider attacks spiking dramatically last year.

They numbered nearly tripling from 2011.

Let's bring in Stephen Yates he served as deputy assistant to Vice President Cheney for national security affairs hi Stephen.

So what is driving the car develop.

I think there's three broad trends that are increasing the risks our troops are exposed to.

One is we are transitioning from a -- fighting force into an advisory role.

The other is that we announced very early and emphatically reinforced during the last presidential campaign.

There will be concluding our operations in Afghanistan giving early warning to an enemy.

In the last is that the president really hasn't defined strategy going forward -- really taking ownership.

Of this of this conflict instead emphasizing the effort to wind down a war looking at troop numbers not really defining strategy going forward.

And in -- what do you think that strategy going forward should look.

Look like.

Well we are going to have some troops there on an ongoing basis general Allen has credible plans.

For the White House to consider about what he needs in order to reinforce security for a limited mission in Afghanistan.

What I think it really needs though is a president to speak very very clearly when President Karzai comes to Washington next week.

About our ongoing commitment to this region that we can't allow a vacuum to reemerge.

We have a dangerous neighbor in Pakistan -- together within Afghanistan ally we need to confront.

Indeed and you make a good point there -- Stephen because when the president president -- Karzai and President Obama speak on Monday.

Of course they're going to be talking about the bulk of the troops that are leaving.

The 60000 they're still there and immunity for the US troops there but again there is Pakistan's.

So be at the end of the day regardless of whenever the troops leave Pakistan is still -- so I ask you.

-- the president trust -- Karzai says as it pertains to destabilizing.

Those.

Or to mitigating those or -- -- and -- destabilizing force in Pakistan can you really trust me saying do you see my point is like.

He can say tell your president one thing to his base but after that we leave.

Those guys are still there that's who Karzai has to deal -- Though we didn't get a vote in the past who the Afghans -- -- their president.

But we do have a lot of experience in dealing with Hamid Karzai.

And thankfully we also have our own sources on the ground I think.

General Allen is one of the most capable generals.

That we have had.

And I trust the plans that he comes up with we have independent sources of information to know for a fact that there are still problems brewing in Pakistan -- -- over the border.

It doesn't require the president of Afghanistan telling us that.

We also know from experience how difficult is a deal with the Pakistani government and the fact that they don't government and -- of their own territory.

We've had now more than a decade of experience dealing with this.

President Obama in 2009.

So that they would devise a plan for dealing with Pakistan and now it's time to really begin acting on that.

And so you're right it's go to it's now is the time to get tough so.

If you were President Obama what is it that you think what words do you think.

That will ring true and resonate with President Karzai come Monday.

Well I think that President Obama needs to convey to President Karzai.

A sincere commitment to seeing a mission through and Afghanistan -- and make clear.

What exactly that mission is I don't think -- President Karzai the Afghan people for that matter the American people have heard enough from President Obama.

What he intends to do what is success there what is that what is the job that he's -- I think he needs to speak credibly to President Karzai.

What he has in mind to -- -- in Pakistan Pakistan is a dangerous nexus of proliferation.

And insurgency and terrorism coming all across the border Afghanistan.

Drones alone have done some things but people President Karzai needs to hear what more does present Obama have a mind to do with this light footprint.

In and I ask you Stephen is it possible considering the circumstances that is that everything so blurred in a way there.

That in fact is it easy to take it framed the situation say OK great here's your picture of success.

Boats to picturing success in Afghanistan is a difficult thing because we're never going to have an ideal circumstance there.

And in confronting -- pushing back the forces of what I consider the evil and Pakistan.

It's also not going to be very clear I think we have to have is that sense of how these dangers are going to be managed to have confidence in one another to do enough.

To keep us our our forces and our allies.

Relatively safe we're not -- avoid accidents or incidents but to be relatively safe and avoiding a break out like we had unfortunately -- 2001.

It's all about the safety of our forces and allies for short Stephen -- thank you very much.

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