Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Perhaps I'll respond briefly to some of your questions and give General Hillier an opportunity to respond as well. He of course has been spending a great deal of time in Afghanistan over the past number of years and can give you his personal observations.
First, on the Senlis Council, who are they, who do they report to, and who is on the ground in Afghanistan making these observations? I note that in their reports there is no index, there are no footnotes, and there are no quotes from individuals they've talked to in Afghanistan. I also note that much of their advice or observations appear to be of a military nature. My understanding is that they are a humanitarian group, yet they're advocating a certain troop increase, and that we should be invading Pakistan.
I completely reject their assessment of the percentage of land now under control by the Taliban. I don't believe it to be remotely true.
You asked for my personal observations. I have seen an increase in the ability of our provincial reconstruction team to complete more projects. I am told by officials there and those who have since returned from the provincial reconstruction team that we have a greater capacity to be outside the wire interacting with Afghan people.
I can tell you as well that those projects make a tremendous difference when they involve Afghan citizens and contractors. When they take ownership of the roads, schools, medical clinics, wells, and those types of infrastructure projects, when they have completed them themselves, constructed those items, they defend them fiercely and have greater ownership. To that extent I believe we are doing more.
Of course, all of this only happens behind the envelope of security that is established on the ground. That's where our Canadian soldiers are at their best. They are expanding that envelope and allowing the backfill of CIDA, of the projects they conduct. In addition to that, we have people in the capital of Kabul, with the SAT from our embassy, working directly inside the Afghanistan government to build good governance.
I'll turn it over to General Hillier.