>> coalition forces have been killed in insider attacks so far this year compared to four deaths in all of 2008 . today's shooting also comes a day after seven american special op forces were killed when their chopper was apparently shot down by insurgents. the taliban claimed responsibility for that attack. joining me now nbc news military analyst general barry mccaffery. thank you for your time.
>> good to be with you, tamron.
>> obviously we're talking politics from jobs to medicare. leon panetta brought up the issue the war and the men and women serving this country abroad. let me play what he had to say. i realize there are a lot of other things going on in this country that can draw our attention from the olympics to political campaigns to droughts to some of the tragedies we've seen in communities around the country. but i thought it was important to remind the american people that there is a war going on in afghanistan and that young men and women are dying in order to protect this country.
>> general, those remarks were made on tuesday and here we are again, two service members shot, killed by this afghan individual that they trained. what are your thoughts that we have to be reminded of what's happening here?
>> well, it's an unusual situation. we're probably running $8 billion a month burn rate losing a company or so killed and wounded. we got 85,000 troops in combat and we have minimal attention by either political campaign toward this war. by the way, tamron, we're involved in a retro grade operation. we're coming out of afghanistan and we should between now and 2014 . we're trying to withdraw out through pakistan. we're 800 miles from the sea. we're in a frightfully dangerous situation underscored by the fragile nature of the afghan security forces . i mean, taliban, yes or no. look, three years ago these attacks weren't taking place. as our combat forces withdraw, our troops are increasingly at risk. we're going to have to rethink the strategy of leaving trainers spread out all over afghanistan .
>> right. congressman patrick murphy , a democrat, said the military is at war and the country is not. let me get your thoughts on those words.
>> i think it's quite true. it's not just the military. it's also the cia and selected elements of national power . foreign service officers, usaid, etcetera. we're pushing 57,000 u.s. killed and wounded. a lot of the young troops, mid career officers, have five or more combat deployments. so it is an all out effort and they're doing a magnificent job, at huge risk. we need to take into account that the coming 24 months are the riskiest of the war so far.
>> right.
>> they need our support both political and financial. i don't want to drag into the political argument over who is right and who is wrong here but there is not a lot of contrast between what mitt romney is saying and what the president has said. the difference is romney has criticized the president for applying a timetable so to speak but agrees largely with the president's plan to bring the troops home from afghanistan . if these two men are to debate the war, what is the key question for both of them at this point?
>> what are you going to do to get us out of there safely and what are the probabilities your strategy will result in a viable afghan state ? by the way, i don't think that either candidate wants to talk about this operation. it's a very tricky situation. iraq arguably may make it. it has an outthroat the ocean, educated people. afghan has different circumstances. security forces that are unreliable, corrupt government, and the new strategy of local police is terrific. that's the only way you can get security is to have the local villagers protect themselves. it also is fraught with risk of renewing the civil war with even greater fervor. that's what's happening in afghanistan .
>> general barry mccaffery, thank you very much for reacting to the news of the day and of course how this issue of the war is playing or not playing in politics these days. thank you,
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/48705626/
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