what a complete assessment it is of how general mcchrystal and his team view the world and view the war. >> anybody comes away thinking this whole war right now looks dire. it doesn't look very promising. the u.s. military forces, the soldiers, the marines on the ground. they really complain bitterly that they're forced by general mcchrystal to fight with one arm tied behind their backs so they won't have to be civilian afghan casualties. is that the conclusion you've drawn from this reporting by, michael? >> absolutely. michael is hearing even now from a report -- from troops on the ground in kandahar where he's reporting another story. they feel that way. they're glad their views are being put out there. as legitimate as it may be, there's a larger issue here, counterinsurgency, the strategy that general mcchrystal is promoting, relies on a very close intertwining of the military and diplomatic arms of the war. and right now, the arms are