I'm delighted to have the final question, because I want to discuss an issue that has not yet been raised.
Last May, I travelled to Afghanistan then on to Paris to attend a NATO meeting.
There is one region of the country that we haven't yet discussed this afternoon, namely the East. As far as I know, NATO currently controls the North, South and West. The US has always wanted to maintain control over the East, but I don't know if that is still true.
I frequently hear people mention General Jones who commands the US forces. However, I met more often with General Richards in Afghanistan because he commands the NATO forces.
I was concerned about some of what I heard in Paris, namely that the North, West and South would be the theatre of anti-insurrection operations, while the East would be theatre of anti-terrorist operations. That would explain why the Americans want to maintain control over this area. I could foresee problems in terms of different rules of engagement. For example, how would NATO have to proceed to call on the Americans to maintain fighter cover? General Jones and General Richards did not have any ready answers to that question.
Can you tell me if the Americans still control the area in the East and if that could create problems for the entire operation?