And we will be talking politics. Will you be doing it during this thanksgiving holiday . All coming up on washington journal. You can send us a tweet. Good morning. We begin with afghanistan. American troops on the ground in what has become americas longest war. Joining us live is brig. Gen. William graham. Thank you for being with us on this holiday. Thanks for having us. Happy thanksgiving to you and all your viewers. Host he is joining us via skype. So there is a little bit of a delay. Lets begin with what is americas longest war. From your standpoint what are some of the Biggest Challenges on the ground . Guest in just a minute and we will get that out of the way. This is my second tour in afghanistan and what i will noisywith you as another helicopter flies past is that there is optimism here with the Afghan People. The new u. S. Policy and its our nato allies is playing well with afghanistan. There is true optimism here. By someed here today amazing american patriots. You guys have to give me your motto. As well as some amazing department of Army Civilians from the u. S. Army corps of engineers afghan district. We want to wish everyone of you a happy thanksgiving. Happy thanksgiving. Lets talk about this thanksgiving holiday. How are you and your troops spending it . How was your luncheon when will dinner be served . Lunch and when will dinner be served . Its an american tradition. Its one of my favorite parts that ive enjoyed. Thats where the senior noncommissioned officers and the Senior Officers all serve thanksgiving dinner to the soldiers. Thankfully here today we got the ortunity to do that rights twice. At Bagram Air Force base we put on a fantastic we have been able to serve a lot of soldiers and civilians that support. Think were going to do a second one as we finish this up. Host was the biggest challenge for you and the troops spending the holidays in afghanistan. Tell us about your background born and raised in winter western pennsylvania. Obviously being away from family is one of our greatest challenges. This is my sixth thanksgiving in a deployed environment. What the army has done an amazing job of it is building resilient families. They put a lot of programs in back to make sure that home type communities have great support. In the internet age where everybody can skype home its wonderful to be able to stay connected. The amazing department of Army Civilians behind me, we couldnt be here in afghanistan assisting assisting theple Afghan Forces trying to get what all of us want, to live a peaceful life free from somebody trying to force an ideology on them that they dont believe in that they dont support. Our conversation with brig. Gen. William graham parody instructor of the task force in the security zone joining us live from afghanistan via skype. Policies you the indicated. What is different under this administration and is there an exit strategy at some point for u. S. Troops in afghanistan . Instead of having a timebased exit strategy are support here is condition based. We are here to serve sidebyside with the Afghan Security forces and i would just like to remind viewers that the Afghan Security forces are doing almost all of the fighting. They truly are taking the fight to the enemies of afghanistan and the enemies of all free people everywhere. What is different about the new administrations policy is that the enemy cant just wait us out. Host can you give us a sense of where you are at . Clearly a lot of movement on the ground and in the air. We are a few miles north of kabul at Bagram Air Force base. Theres about 17,000 folks here. It is a very busy place. Host earlier this year the president said we are losing the war in afghanistan. Clearly that refers to the changing strategy by the pentagon. Monthse last couple of have you seen a significant difference in u. S. Efforts in that country . In my time here, i arrived in the early summer and i was last in afghanistan in 2014. What i would share with your viewers is there is a possible sense of optimism about the new strategy. Host our phone lines are open. 202 7488000 democrats. 202 7488001 republicans. We have a line set aside for those of you who have served in afghanistan. We would love to hear from you as well and you can also send us a tweet. You about the government of afghanistan. What has changed in the last year or the last couple of years from your standpoint they have seen firsthand . The administration has when ien absolutely was asked to come in in the early summer to work on improving security handinhand with the Afghan Security forces i was able to meet with the president and he has a true vision. For where this country can go. And hes working very hard through the government of afghanistan as well as general nicholson and the nato allies to achieve that vision. Some have called fighting terrorism the waccamaw strategy whackamole strategy. How do you address that . Its wise for us to front confront terrorism and evil wherever it rears its head whether that is in subsaharan africa, here in afghanistan or back at home. We have to confront evil and we are dedicated to that and the afghans we are serving shoulder to shoulder with dedicated to that. I had lunch yesterday with the Kabul City Police chief. He has been fighting this fight and he has paid a pretty steep price. A sont an eye, he lost and daughter. They are still optimistic that a Bright Future for the use of afghanistan. Host give us a sense of your own background. How long you have been in the army and why you decided to serve. Have been in the army almost 38 years. I came in on a rotc scholarship at the university of pittsburg. My first assignment was in western germany. I was fortunate to be there andng the fall of the wall to see the east germans flooding into west germany. I was able to go to checkpoint charlie and walk around oldies old east berlin see a banker i think theres a saying that goes if you are fortunate in can get rewarding work and the career i have had the honor to serve within the army has been truly that. Host where is your wife and Family Spending the holidays . My wife and family are in pittsburgh. There celebrating with my parents back there. Host we want to wish them a happy thanksgiving before we get to phone calls. Guest thank you very much for that. Host go to robert joining us from california on the line for independents. Brig. Gen. William graham joining us live via skype from afghanistan. Caller good morning. Thank you general, thank you troops. I was drafted. I was unhappy being drafted but once i was drafted i loved the army. I love all of them and to this day i want to say thank you, troops. Thank you general. And god bless you, your family and all. I love all of you in my heart. My flag on thanksgiving and you guys make me so proud. Thank you and god bless everyone i see on screen. Robert, thank you for your service. Had the privilege of working with many veterans from the vietnam era and talk about coming home in the country was greeted them with less than open arms. I know when i travel throughout the United States in uniform im. Lways thanked for my service we dont take that for granted. Here today on this thanksgiving i want to thank you for all you have done and thank you for staying army strong. Host gene is joining us from arizona. Good morning. Good morning general. How are you this morning . Guest im doing great. Happy thanksgiving sir carte. Caller ima disabled veteran. Served from 1957 to 1961. My son just retired to an a half years ago. People dont appreciate what the military does for us americans and thank you for all the troops and god bless you try to have a happy thanksgiving and god bless. Adios. Guest thank you for making your service to your country and family tradition. It must be awfully early this time. Thank you for joining us this morning. It means an awful lot to the soldiers behind me. We dont take for granted and we absolutely want to thank your family for your service. Host this program is carried live on cspan radio. Viaral graham is joining us skype which explains the occasional delay. Sometimes the breakup. We can hear him well. Lets go to sterling in orange, new jersey. Independent line. Good morning. Caller happy holidays to everybody. Smelly buckley says war is a racket. I am amazed it is been 18 years since we went into afghanistan and we are still there. People say that Bernie Sanders is a fool for thinking americans can have socialized health care. What are we really doing out here . Host we will get a response. Thank you, sir. My understanding is what are we doing in afghanistan. Hope to theding people of afghanistan. I see it every day. Right nearchool where my base is and its funded by the german government. I see the Young Children at school every day. They wouldnt have that hope without the aid of the International Community. The taliban probably wouldnt let that stay in operation. School stay in operation. I think its incumbent upon free people to fight tyranny wherever it shows up. 202 7488000 for democrats and 202 7488001 for republicans. Of the missions you have there is rebuilding infrastructure across the country at great expense to u. S. Taxpayers. What are we seeing and how much is it costing . That a lot of the work the have been doing is providing basis that the Afghan Security horse can operate off of. Ar goal is to provide professional Afghan Security force that is both the army, the police, the special Operations Force. We are currently in the process as part of this new strategy to of the afghane special Operations Forces and triple the size of the Afghan Air Force and you cant do that without good facilities to operate from. The wonderful engineers behind have been out lately key absolutely he to providing those absolutely key to providing those. Truly stay offense event keep the taliban and isis on their heels. Coming out of this winter they will have a much improved and theof capability strategy is to make sure we dont give the enemy any safe havens in the country. For afghan veterans, the number to call is 202 7488003. Bobby is joining us from georgia. Caller good morning. I just want to say thank you for being over there in the Holiday Season. Myself24 year veteran and i was in the air force and the army and consequently i cant say enough good things for the veterans. We do all we can do and we do more. Could get out of afghanistan. I think we have been there too long, general. Can you tell us what the future might bring . Guest thank you for joining us. Happy thanksgiving to you. I absolutely want to thank you for your service. I have heard comments that the you can see byd the soldiers behind me and i will tell you all of those soldiers that idea with is that certainly is not tired. These wars have been going on for an extended period of time that we have seen progress. When we first came into Afghanistan Coalition forces, we were doing the preponderance of the fighting. We are in a primarily trained, advise and assist role. The afghan army and special Operations Forces and the nascent afghan truly are taking on the fight and theres great sense of hope and optimism in afghanistan. Iny truly have confidence their government to provide them a brighter future. Happy thanksgiving. The black stains involving the u. S. Military and cia operations earlier this week , the International Criminal court looking into allegations of rape and abuse by u. S. Troops and the cia. Can you address that issue . Theres an aircraft taking off. I didnt hear the end of that question but im not familiar with the specifics behind that and i dont think i have much offer. Much to offer. Host john is joining us from illinois. Caller good morning, general. Vietnam vet. I was fortunate enough to talk three of my Grammar School in the to join me marines. All you have to do is watch the tv screen and you will know that these guys are doing the americanjob that any can do for us. This is a tougher job than washing the toilet bowl or leading a nation. For those who fight for it freedom has a meaning that the protected will never know. General, thank you. Fellas behind the general, thank you. God bless you. He. Stand. Week greatly appreciate you being with us. You are absolutely right. The soldiers behind me are part of a route clearance company. Its kind of an unnatural act. Most folks try to avoid finding explosives on the side of the roads these unbelievably brave americans behind me are the ones that go out looking for those explosives. They do it tremendously well and keep the rest of us safe. The civilians behind me on of the most difficult things it is to keep a construction project on time on schedule with good quality in a combat zone. They are just truly remarkable of what they do and it takes a complete team. It takes the soldiers to support all of this and i am absolutely delighted to be here with them today on thanksgiving. Host if you are walking the streets of kabul in civilian clothes would you feel safe . Is it a safer city today . I think kabul is safer today but we can never rest. The enemy on the battlefield, they can hold in afghanistan, they are going to lash out. There most likely to lash out in the capital city. One i got here this summer of my tasks was to work handinhand with the Afghan Police and the senior minister officials to see what efforts we can take to better secure kabul. It is initially designed around the heart of the city or the Diplomatic Quarter is. The plan must always continue to expand that security not just in the heart of the city but to expand it out throughout kabul and to use that as an example for the other large metropolitan areas as well. Host brig. Gen. William graham is director of the task force in the enhanced security zone in afghanistan. To frank in tulsa, oklahoma. Good morning. Caller general, i want to thank you for your service. I was a vietnam vet. Combat. They wouldnt waste two officers on our missions. John kerry under obama i believe helped to stall your work out and iin afghanistan believe obama was just barking time. He wasnt trying to win anything over there. He was just trying to keep us embroiled and make us look bad just like john kerry did to us veterans in vietnam when he turned coded on us after receiving his three trumped up purple hearts so he could escape service. I was just wondering how you think things have changed under President Trump. I pray for him and our congress and senate and our troops almost daily. And god less you guys. God bless you guys. Let me know what the changes since President Trump has come in. Thank you. Thank you so much for your service. We are doing our best to carry on your legacy. Allies the afghans, nato have absolutely the new strategy in afghanistan of making this conditions based. With the growth of the Afghan SpecialOperations Forces, the Afghan Air Forces we are going to put continuous offense of pressure on the enemy. We also want to make sure there is diplomatic pressure. You see the president of the administration had put great pressure on pakistan so there is no safe haven for terrorists. Theres also societal pressure that is being applied to the enemies and that will be executed through elections. If the taliban think they have a better idea, if they think theyve got the support of the vast majority of the Afghan People which we know isnt true then put that to the test. Dont put that to the test at the end of a gun barrel. Put that to the test at the valley box ballot box. If you got a better idea we can see if that will win. Host how many u. S. Troops are currently on the ground in afghanistan . I dont think we are counting soldiers right now. The soldiers are up to the task we are asking them to do. More importantly in the early spring you will see the first troops come in is part of the Security ForceAssistance Brigade. What that is is the army is going to replum itself. We are asking them to do. More importantly in the early we had been taking brigades and leadership to train and assist the afghans. Seasonse going to leadership te noncommissioned officers and being is as they finish commanders or platoon sergeants they are going to be part of the Security ForceAssistance Brigade if they volunteer. This is going to be a very elite and picked and the first one should start this spring. Us to train and assist the afghans down to the battalion level in about half of the forces. What that will enable the afghans to do is stay on continuous offense of up rations against the enemies of afghanistan. In olympia, washington. With brig. Gen. William graham joining us live from afghanistan. Good morning. Good morning. Happy thanksgiving crit i just want to thank all of you for serving our country. Killed in 1953. I was six years old. So i know what you are all giving up and i know what your families are giving up. God bless you all and keep on going. Thank you. Amsurg sorry for your loss. Particularly during this holiday just truly makes it hard. We are sorry for your loss. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for getting up early. He mentioned 1953 and the korean war. When i was here my last tour in 2014 i had a young engineer on my team. When that south korean engineer was leaving he was an officer and he was heading back to south korea. What he told me during his farewell is he was here serving in afghanistan as payback because six years ago many nato u. S. International Coalition Partners stood shoulder to shoulder with south korean soldiers and he knew that if the