The Task [in Afghanistan] Is To Reduce

Reconciliation Is What Takes Place, Of Course, At Higher Levels. President Karzai Has Been Very Clear About The Red Lines For Reconciliation, Accept The Constitution, Lay Down Their Weapons, Cut Their Ties With Al Qaeda And Essentially Become Productive Or At Least Participating Members Of Society In That Regard.

Iran, As We Have Already Discussed, Has Carried Out Very, Very Harmful Activities Inside Iraq. Funding, Trainings, Arming And, In Some Cases, Even Directing The Activities Of The Special Groups Associated With The Jaish Al-mahdi And The Sadr Militia.

Iraq Has Gone From Being On The Brink To Being On The Mend, And It Clearly Has Some Big Advantages.

Let's Remember That The Reason We Are There Is That We Have Vital Interests In Afghanistan, Hugely Important National Interests, As Do The Other Countries Involved.

In Afghanistan You Are Not Rebuilding, You Are Building. There Is Very Limited Infrastructure And Extreme Terrain, With Deserts In The South And Mountains So High In Some Areas That Helicopters Don't Even Fly Well At A Certain Altitude Because The Air Becomes So Thin. The Country Has A Serious Problem Of Illiteracy, Especially After So Many Years Of War And Taliban Rule.