“We’ll get further co-operation from the people in the region – the Pashto tribes – who will see more accommodation coming out of the Taliban most of whom are Pashto realizing that they cannot realise their expectations through intimidation and force.”
The man who held Biden's job 'til just over a year ago and who is usually one of Obama's most critical voices - the former Bush administration Vice President Dick Cheney - had no argument with the President's policy in Afghanistan when he appeared on ABC's "This Week."
“I’m a complete supporter of what they’re doing in Afghanistan I think the President made the right decision to send troops into Afghanistan.”
But retired U.S. Marine Corps General, Jim Jones, who as National Security Adviser is charged with overseeing all U.S. national security issues, was tight lipped when he arrived at "Fox News Sunday," for another national broadcast to sell the President's message.
"Good morning," he said - though little else, at least not to me and my cameraman.
Inside the studio, however, General Jones stressed that this is more about winning over the people of Afghanistan and reconstructing Helmand Province than just a military campaign.
“It is the first major operation in which we will demonstrate – I think successfully – that the new elements of the strategy which combine not only security operations but economic reform and good governance at the local and regional level with a much more visible presence of Afghan forces will take place .”
That'll be a hard task in the face of reports that civilians have been killed in the latest offensive.
As he left the buiulding, General Jones refused to take questions from me about that or about comments by a senior commander that the anti-Taliban operation could take weeks to complete.
Analysts say whether it's weeks or months, success in the long-run depends on the careful deployment of Afghan forces.
Azeem Ibrahim, of the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government told al Jazeera:
"A clear measure will be, after this operation is complete, is how quickly the Afghan National forces can move into the area and start undertaking development work, and this has to be undertaken by the Afghan and not by the NATO troops."
In other words it's a classic catch 22!
NATO troops are needed to clear Helmand of mines and booby traps but every civilian killed or injured serves as a recruiting tool for the Taliban.
![[QODLink]](http://english.aljazeera.net/mritems/Images/2012/5/11/2012511172447168734_16.jpg "Gaddafi clung to a fading reality")
