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Gen. John F. Campbell, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, speaks during a ceremony in Kabul on Aug. 26. Campbell is overseeing the U.S. drawdown in the country after 13 years of war. Massoud Hossaini/AP hide caption

Gen. John F. Campbell, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, speaks during a ceremony in Kabul on Aug. 26. Campbell is overseeing the U.S. drawdown in the country after 13 years of war.

As the U.S. military winds down its role in Afghanistan, the U.S. commander there, Gen. John Campbell, says Afghan forces have improved enough to handle the Taliban forces that are still waging war.

The Afghan military is "the strongest institution in Afghanistan," Campbell told NPR Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep in an interview broadcast on Veterans Day.

The strength of the Afghan military is crucial in light of what has played out in Iraq. There, the U.S. military pulled out entirely at the end of 2011. By this year, the Iraqi army had crumbled in the face of the advancing Islamic State.

The U.S. is concluding its formal combat role in Afghanistan at the end of this year, but will keep a small force in the country for the next two years.

Here are some key questions, Campbell's answers and context:

Are Afghan forces ready to fight on their own?

Campbell: "I think they've done very well here over the last summer, as they've really taken on the fight themselves. They have the equipment, they've had the training. They need to do a little bit more work with their leadership. They've got to change out some leaders, they've got to hold some folks accountable. But whenever the [Afghan security forces] get involved with the Taliban, the Taliban cannot hold ground, they can't hold terrain. The Taliban can continue to strike fear and go after small outposts way out on the frontier, and that's what they do they attack those soft targets. ...

"But I'm telling you what I've seen the change from a couple of years ago to today. They do have the capability to protect themselves. They are the strongest institution in Afghanistan."

See the original post here:
Afghanistan's Way Forward: A Talk With Gen. John Campbell, Decoded