I'm Living The Dream.

President Obama Has Said That Our Aspirations Should Be Realistic. We Are Not Going To Turn One Of The Poorest Countries In The World, That Was Plunged Into 30 Years Of War, Into An Advanced, Industrialized, Western-style Democracy. What We Want To Achieve Is Afghanistan's Capacity To Secure And Govern Itself.

The Art Of Coalition Command - Whether It Is Here In Afghanistan, Whether It Was In Iraq Or In Bosnia Or In Haiti - Is To Take The Resources You Are Provided With, Understand What The Strengths And Weaknesses Are And To Employ Them To The Best Overall Effect.

There Has, Indeed, Been Very Substantial Progress In Iraq Over The Past Year - Violence Is Down By 80 Percent, Civilian Deaths By About The Same, And So On.

The President And I Sat Down In The Oval Office, And He Expressed Very Clearly That What He Wants From Me Is My Best Professional Military Advice.

The Question Is Always How You Get The Number Of Troops Needed. They Do Not Have To Be Coalition Forces. We Also Have To Expand The Training Program For The Afghan National Army And The National Police, In Particular. And Defense Secretary Robert Gates Has Already Announced Support For A Significant Increase In The Afghan Army.