John McCain

Secretary Flournoy, do you believe such incidents to be isolated events or part of a larger, systemic pattern of defection by ANSF as the U.S/NATO offensive efforts increase?

So it's a careful balance between trying to reduce or eliminate civilian casualties and at the same time allowing the military to defend themselves.

The Dutch Government collapsed and they announced that they will be withdrawing in August.

The most important thing I think we should remember today is that the campaign in and around Marjah remains a work in progress.

In spite of recent successes, we know that this is going to be a hard fight.

So that we can gain credibility with the people of Afghanistan.

But it is an area of concern.

The General's assessment, and based on briefs through the Joint Chiefs and Chairman Levin, was that the Central Helmand River Valley was where the insurgency had the most safe havens.

There are going to be pockets of intense resistance and there will be, perhaps one step forward, two steps back.

Secretary Flournoy, how many NATO casualties have there been?

Secretary Flournoy, how many troops are from NATO partners?

The politics and economy of Marja will remain something that can be used by the Taliban to support the insurgency.

While there are scattered examples of the ANA performing ably and courageously, there seem to be just as many, if not more, examples of the Marine Corps leading and the ANA following in almost every aspect.

Describe the efforts to avoid air strikes and other measures taken to reduce civilian deaths.

Will Taliban troops fighting in Afghanistan be significantly impacted?

Look, we might as well face up to the fact that the Dutch are leaving. That's why their government collapsed.

Key pillars of the Marjah campaign plan are to 'hold' and to 'build,' the civilian effort to help Afghans deliver better governance and economic opportunity once the Taliban is cleared out.

I keep hearing reports, General, that the Rules of Engagement are overly restrictive.

Operation Moshtarak is the first operation in Afghanistan where coalition planning has been fully integrated with our Afghan partners.

As Senator McCain said, this is a work in progress.

We should remember, I think, that the early operations of the surge in Iraq were nearly all U.S.-planned, U.S.-led, and U.S.-fought.

How do we break the link between the poppy trade and the Taliban?

I say with great respect you are getting different information than I am, including conversations that I had in Munich with our NATO allies.

The recent capture of Mullah Baradar and other high-value Afghan Taliban leaders is obviously a good news story.

On February 17, 2010, the U.S. EPA rated the Navy's Draft EIS as Environmentally Unsatisfactory: Inadequate Information.