One of the problems we have in the public domain debate over what we're doing in Afghanistan relates to the artificial distinction between combat operations and developmental aid and the continuum that exists between the two.
On the ground, the enemy--and the enemy is not just the Taliban, there are a number of enemies that work together--employs a variety of techniques to accomplish its objectives. I could go through the list, but fundamentally you're familiar with them: suicide attacks, political mobilization, and political intimidation--what we would call guerilla operations. They use a variety of techniques; they do not use a singular technique.
Each one of these techniques has to be met with a different tool. To emphasize one tool over the other at a particular time is not a useful exercise. You have to have a variety of techniques at your disposal, and we have those. In this case we've just decided to add a few more. The techniques we have in theatre are very good. The enemy has had a hard time trying to crack our system, if you will. But I personally don't view the addition of firepower resources as detracting from the Vietnam-era term “hearts and minds campaign”. I wouldn't call it that. I'm even hesitant to call it a reconstruction campaign.
Then we have to get into the heads of our constituency on the ground, and we have problems with metrics in that area.
So the mere presence of a certain piece of firepower or kit on the ground is not necessarily going to have a detrimental effect on our other efforts. We're dealing with a culture that's been at war arguably since 1979. They're used to levels of violence. They're used to equipment being present. They're even used to civilian deaths. Again, the presence of this particular force package is not necessarily going to have a detrimental effect on what we're trying to accomplish vis-à-vis the population. Indeed, the opposite could be the case. If we do not employ our forces effectively, we may in fact lose respect from certain parts of the population.
So I'd ask you to keep those things in mind when you're dealing with issues relating to Afghanistan and not focus on a particular piece of equipment, because that is only one part of the package.