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French and over 35,000 local partners that are operating there. if you look at the numbers in afghanistan, approximately 11,000 americans on the ground, 300,000 afghans. so what the american people need to do, with a relatively small footprint, we are enabling local forces to deal with these challenges before they become a threat to the american people. and to help them to deal with the challenges so they don't further destabilize their local area or region. >> were there any kia and do you know how many? >> we dont know that. we'll be happy to provide that detail to you once the investigation...

The homeland and local forces are unable to deal with that threat, the united states forces are going to deal with that threat. but the bias is towards enabling local african partners to conduct operations in africa. >> clarity on the timeline on the meds vac. how long did it take for the casualties were medevaced and how long before the dead americans were returned on the contractor flight? >> okay. what i outlined for you earlier was the evening of -- during the firefight, so this is probably some time late in the afternoon and then in the evening is when the two soldiers who were wounded we...

Challenge. i believe that isis will attempt to establish a physical presence outside of iraq and syria now that they have lost their caliphate in raqqah and mosul. they'll attempt to establish. that's why we're conducting the kind of operations we've conducted in niger is to ensure local forces have the capability to prevent that from happening. >> we have time for two more questions. >> courtney? >> thank you. does part of the fbi investigation include interviewing the wounded and the soldiers who were there at the attack back here in the u.s.? >> we'll have to get back to you. i don't actual...

Yes. we're there because isis and al qaeda are operating in that area. that's why our forces are providing advice and assist to vole forces is to help them deal with that particular challenge. with regard to our equipping, our responsiveness and so forth, those will all be questions that we'll ask ourselves at every level once the investigation is concluded. it's important for us to base line what support was requested at what particular time? when did it arrive? was it what they needed? all those are fair questions, but i'd just ask for your patience and just giving us the time it takes to do...

In africa are designed to support the training, advising and assisting of the local african partners. and we mitigate the risk to u.s. forces with specific guidance that we only accompany those forces when the prospects of enemy contact is unlikely. there are other areas in africa where we have a different construct. so what i just described to you is the construct that exists in west africa. clearly, and you've seen it in reen recent days, we have a difference operation against al qaeda, al shabab and al qaeda organizations inside of east africa. so, you know, we tailor the conduct of u.s. fo...