Well, thank you.
What I would say, looking at Afghanistan over the last several months now, especially since the fall of last year, when we expanded operations into the southern part of Afghanistan, and then into the east, is that the security situation in the south and east is indeed improving. We're seeing more reconstruction and development in the south and in the east. We're seeing more projects that are benefiting Afghans. We're seeing the construction more and more of the ring road, for example. Some of the road construction in the south is part of a new operation called Operation Nawruz, which means “New Year”, which is focused on improving those communication capabilities that allow people to have alternative livelihoods and get their crops to market, things of that nature—legal crops to market, I'd specify. All of that is part and parcel of the improvements in Afghanistan. In the west, Iran is participating or contributing to road-building, for example. So there are many examples of how things are improving across the spectrum.
My own personal view is that as we continue to see these things happening--not the least of which is in the Canadian area, with Helmand province and Kandahar province, which I know you're very familiar with, having seen the maps on a routine basis.... We're now seeing another operation called Operation Achilles, for example, which is primarily for reconstruction and development, underpinned by a security situation that allows for that reconstruction and development and will allow for the renewal or enhancement of the Kajaki Dam, which will provide electricity for the surrounding area, an area that has had little or no electricity for years, if not decades. All of this will contribute to economic development and so on and so forth.
Stability and security are essential to reconstruction and development, but enduring development can't occur without security. So they go hand in hand.