the white house is moving forward with an aggressive campaign to win support for president obama's plan to overhaul health care. in his weekly internet and radio address, the president talked about a new without study. it suggests small businesses pay far more for employees, for insurance, than big companies. and mr. obama says the disparity is unacceptable. he hoped for congress to vote on health care reform by its august recess, but he now says he expects a bill by the end of the year. and new moves are under way. to calm the uproar over the arrest of an african-american professor by a white cambridge massachusetts police officer. henry gates a noted scholar at harvard says he is pleased president obama invited him and the officer, sergeant james crowley, to the white house. gates says he wants the incident to be used as teaching moment to improve racial relations in america.

in dozens of cities, on six continents, protesters are gathering today to put pressure on iran. they're calling for the release of hundreds of iranians who were arrested during protests over the country's disputed presidential election opinion. all right. now, taking on the taliban. all hour we're taking a look at the u.s.-led offensive in afghanistan. the faces of the conflict. the drug trade fueling it and u.s. strategy and what's dubbed president obama's war and let's catch you up right now. july, already the deadliest month for american service members since the 2001 invasion. 37 casualties this month. two just yesterday. and caught in the conflict, u.s. army private beau, captured in afghanistan three weeks ago. this video released by the taliban last weekend, the first indication that he is stale live. afghanistan's drug trade is bank

rolling the taliban and u.s. forces have set their sights on that. and just this week the u.s. military destroyed 300 tons of poppy seeds in an effort to cut the enemy's money flow. we want you to be part of the conversation which has already begun on our blog. we're taking your comments, your questions on facebook at fredricka whitfield cnn and e-mail us at cnn.com, or post a message on our blog ivan is in the area bringing us up to date on all that's taking place today. >> reporter: there were a serioseries of attacks today. what happened is according to the ministry of defense spokesman for us, the afghan government, at least seven attackers armed with suicide vests and weapons attacked a series of building this that

town today. that's actually the kabul police station, a military hospital as well and wounded at least 15 swril civilians, we're being told. a nato spokesman said they trieded to plow into the station using a suicide car bomb and then tried to attack. that situation reportedly under control according to of a garn and nato defense officials. now, what what is important is this is not an isolated incident, fredricka. last tuesday, a series of two similar attacks on two other eastern town. the town of gardez, and attacked government buildings, and also the city of jalalabad, also in the east. this is a tactic that the taliban and insurgents have developed. it has evolved over past several years. it is a deadly means of attacking. if somebody blows themselves up.

blows away some of the security precautions and then other people file in shooting everywhere. a terrifying tactic. >> let's talk about these tactics which are much more sophisticated and much more effective from the taliban's point of view. the use of the suicide vests. the use of ied. car bombs et cetera. what's the explanation how there san increase in the use of these tactics? >> well, this has been the bloodiest month in the region for the nato and american forces in afghanistan. and of that is a result of these types attacks. the deadliest number one danger, the biggest threat to the foreign forces on the ground in afghanistan are the roadside bombs. the ieds we heard about in iraq. they've gone the increasingly deadly here in afghanistan as well. that is the number one threat that people are worried about here. also, the suicide attack.

if one's a little -- people may not know. for 25 years of conflicts and civil war and soviet occupation, suicide bombs were not a method useed by afghans in these conflicts. this is a new phenomenon and lgts developed over the last five or six years and it probably part of this kbloeblization of terrorist tactics that have moved over from zones bike iraq. >> all right. those are the developments going on there. it's ongoing. things seem to be ratcheting up in afghanistan. stretching pete gretchen peters wrote a book and how harrowing bank rolling the taliban and al qaeda and she joins us from denver. at this juncture with the war still going on, should be close

to resolution. instead it's going in a complete opposite direction. what's your view as to what's happening here? >> well i think a lot of mistakes were made immediately after the october 2001 invasion of afghanistan and we're seeing the affects of those mistakes now. >> eight years later? >> yes. i mean, first of all, the bush administration went in and the international community in general with a light footprint approach. afghanistan was dramatically under resourced compared to other postconflict situations, other places including kosovo, team work, cambodia, must less into re-introduction and trying to rebuilt afghanistan and into iraq. if we discuss iraq, of course, 2 wale was in 2003 when washington was ramping ip towards the invasion of the rourk that things started to spin out of control in afghanistan nap was really the beginning of what we

see now. >> but if the criticism could be that the u.s.-led military tactics in afghanistan, then what has happened that has allowed the taliban to take on this reserge -- he didn't become nor sophisticated in the way it is margareting out british and u.s. forces and even harming more afghan civilians as well? >> there are a number of things going on. first of all, until recently, until the very view international troops in if the rather parts of afghanistan. particularly in the south, the southeast and in the east. the very areas where we see the most violence today. that's one of the problems. this were lawless, ungoverned and very little effort made to try to bring stability and rule law to those areas. as well, what i've documented in my cool wa -- became very, very

closely stid to the enormous opium trade and is earning hundreds of millions of dollars a year off of that. that has given them the money to launch all sorts of operations that they were oot not able to do in the earlities. >> money which is helping the taliban strengthen, but then how do you explain the change in the insurgency and how they're taking out the enemy? they're using ze. it. using ieds. a 55% increase in a year's time. how do you in a and this is helping in the engaging of warfare. >> i think the use of suicide bombers, ied, roadside attack, these kind of small hit-and-run ambush, exactly the type of

tactics that any up against a much more powerful enemy. i don't think there's anything -- >> they weren't using it early on. >> that's right. they weren't. well -- the first suicide attacks in afghanistan start around 2005, and when -- and as ivan said, it wasn't -- there's quite clear evidence that other extremist groups came in and helped train the taliban in pakistan's tribal unions. there's evidence that neighboring states including. they may play a hand in training some of the militants in some areas. not all of them. you know, it's a very collect wags, but what i have notices is that and there's connection with the drug trade an other criminal activity has actually made the taliban and it's other extremist

groups operating along the border much more ruthless, much more violent than they were before. of course, they were hardly warm and cutler bunch before tao. >> eel walk talk more about the puppy trade. that's later on. also asking people to send comments and thoughts and questions, and some of what are already focusing on facebook. rene shavers said -- maggie crawford says, thank you for the update, however saddening on the war. i am so feel we're ending them all regardless with the name or the political name of the commander in chief. and has seaney says why are u.s. forces still there? july would have been so deadly -- would not, however, been so deadly if u.s. forces were there. this story is getting too old.

we leave the u.s. alone and come back home and treat the veterans and mitch mitchell writes, why is it obama's war, as i recall. this car started and the entire world was behind it. it did not belong to a single person before it belongs to the world. sooner people remember and realize that. this is the fact things may actually go right in f fg. we'll hear more from gretchen peters and ivan watson again. and now feels absolutely close to afghanistan. breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid.

announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid.

americans serving in afghanistan and one week ago, visible proof she in the hands of the taliban. this 3ik cher showing private first class beau kept by the taliban. from a small town's in idaho. in the video released by the taliban. >> i have a very, very, very good family that i love back home in america, and i miss them every day, when i'm gone. i miss them. and i'm afraid i might never see

them again. >> the people back home are worried about him too. a number of vigils took place and saying prayers and this is the message they are hoping that he'll receive. >> this is bowe bergdahl. he found a job before joining the military fishing for salmon off the alaskan coast. on this adventure he first met his hometown buddy. >> he's good kid. he's strong as an objection. >> reporter: spent almost three months on this boat with bowe berg dahl. at night he dreamed of riding his bike around the world hopping on boats, carrying only the bare necessities. >> keep telling you wanting to bicycle around the world. what do you think of that? >> this kid is crazy. you know? there's no land all the way around the world and then he explained the whole boat process, but i guess biking around the world, that's one heck of a feat right there. >> reporter: those who know

bergdahl talk about his adventurous side. he worked here. >> he captures you. bowe is not something in the corner. you engage and he engages very well. >> reporter: he's a renaissance man in the make pg's he learned ballet at this dance studio, took up the sport of fencing and an avid outdoorsman, rode motorcycles, learned to sail on an expedition that took him from the atlantic to the pacific all by the age of 23. >> seems like he was fascinated by the world out there. >> yeah. wanted to go see it. wanted to go see it. >> reporter: bergdahl waited tables and worked construction jobs to pay for these adventures which sometimes involved long, rustic bike rides through the idaho wilderness. >> bowe never owned a car. he doesn't like them. >> reporter: birddahl's parents live a quiet life along this dirt road on the outskirts of idaho, living in this home nestled here in the valley. it is here that private bergdahl was home schooled growing up.

what sue loves most about him, the man who displayed quiet chivalry. >> i'd go tout my car after a big day and big snowfall and bowe would have been out there and swept the snow off my car. i'd walk out in and oh, bowe's been here and never say anything. >> reporter: that the bowe bergdahl the people in his hometown can't wait to welcome home. >> and bowe bergdahl, lots of prayers going out from his state for release from the taliban capture. all right. the afghan war it is intensifying. what is fueling the taliban? on r insurance. it's actually doing it. gecko vo: businessmen say "hard work equals success." well, you're looking at, arguably, the world's most successful businessgecko. gecko vo: first rule of "hard work equals success."

gecko vo: that's why geico is consistently rated excellent or better in terms of financial strength. gecko vo: second rule: "don't steal a coworker's egg salad, 'specially if it's marked "the gecko." come on people. en... to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. i don't always let my bladder problems...

or the worry my pipes might leak... compromise what i like to do... like hunting for bargains, not always bathrooms. i take care with vesicare. (announcer) once-daily vesicare can help control your bladder muscle and is proven to reduce frequent, sudden urges and leaks... day and night... if you have certain stomach or glaucoma problems, or trouble emptying your bladder, do not take vesicare. tell your doctor right away if you have a serious allergic reaction, severe abdominal pain, or become constipated for three or more days.

vesicare may cause blurred vision, so take care while driving or doing unsafe tasks. common side effects are dry mouth, constipation, and indigestion. you deserve better than to always be compromised by urges and leaks. ask your doctor today about taking care with vesicare. all right. there's more than one war being fought in afghanistan. doigs fighting the taliban the u.s. and allies are fighting a drug war. >> reporter: they may be beautiful, but afghanistan's poppies are the source of an estimated 90% of the world's opium. >> translator: when it's harvest

time we slice the capsule then leave until the next day. then we collect the opium the next morning. >> reporter: in 2000, afghanistan taliban rulers banned poppy farming for heroin production calling in unislamic. after the overthrow of the taliban in 2001, the poppy made a swift comeback. in a vexing irony, profits now fund taliban efforts towards regaining power. >> it's very clearly most certainly funding, we know that. strategically, my view is it has to be eliminated. >> reporter: eliminated is a challenge. afghanistan's premiere cash crop, and so far attempts to get quick to other props have been met with limited success. a former state department official talked about the challenge of last year. >> one of the myths i tried to debunk, a lot more development assistance, give the farmers

irrigation, the problem will be resolved. that's not the case. we give them alternative props, they don't take them because the opium's more valuable. >> reporter: and efforts to destroy poppy fields can be sdangerrous. sometimes they come under attack and then the battle for hearts and minds, and the fear that farmers who see their poppy fields plowed under will throw their support to the taliban. so eradicating poppy fields, not easy. our ivan is in the region and has an even better explanation to why. >> the issue is, do you try to wipe out the livelihood for so many impoverished afghans trying to get rid of pop around thus going after the opium and the booming heroin industry here or just let it thrive. what we saw is that they actually are waiting taliban-controlled towns. they've captured tons of poppy

seeds and then made a huge shell bombing those stores of poppy seeds, 1,000-pound bombs, bracing them with helicopters sending a very strong message that type of activity will no longer be tolerated. it's striking because just a year ago the marine were telling me we're not in the poppy irrad condition business. and author of "seeds of tear e" and so a couple points, gretchen. one, exactly what ivan was talking about. u.s. forces. he says, hey, we didn't want to be in the business of now being narcotics police, in part that's what they're being asked to do, and then after you kind ofs a little more about the options for these farmers? >> in part the military is having to take part in fighting narcotics in afghanistan. first of all, the afghan police are not funking well in this.

in many cases the police have been kpleeptly corrupted. the drug profiting engaged in it and probably much more than the taliban. that means that western forces in these areas step into a law enforcement vac be coupe and have to fill it. the other issue, the strategy is grog after the traffickers as opposed to going after the push farmers. >> who would be doing that? again, u.s. and british forces who are there? part of the solution? >> there appear to be more efforts to track down the major rasking group. they're sending another 8 agents to the region. 88 agents. other, working with american troops as many as 150 former police, and trying to go after the drug scene in afghanistan, we already known given the terrain for one how difficult it is to traverse that couple you

know -- in any other country it's been a challenge for a drug agent. >> right, well it is a challenge. i'm not suggesting it will be simple. however, there's actually a fairly small number of people who are known to be the major facilitators and kingpins behind afghanistan's drug trade. a lot of experts estimate that it's less than two dozen people, at the very top of the command chain. now, one of the challenges, fredricka, is that they're not all in afghanistan opinion we talked about this, but the big cartels doing a lot of the smugging of the opium grown in the regions that the taliban dominate are actually in western pakistan. a lot of the money laundering is going on in places like due by and about boo damy this -- that is a challenge, i believe. >> if we're talking ak trying to cut the drug trade, poppy growers at the knees, reportedly

one incentive american, trying to offer to the pop e growers saying we will make sure you get paid for growing nothing. so allow the irratification of these fields. you can system have the money to feed your families and they say they're being intimidated by the taliban and others that they're almost forced to grow this. so it's a much bigger problem. how in the world or in the get to the bottom of that? >> i personally advocate that the western forces in these areas take a community approach. community level approach. i don't think that there's going to be one blankets solution. as you said in some areas farmers are being forced to grow poppy. in other places. you can make so much money. in other areas, farmers say they can't grow anything else because the roads are destroyed. can't get their crops to market.

opium doesn't -- >> when you also hear the u.s. saying we want to give them intentive to grow something else, like win and now you have irrigation and we're talking about a very dry place and, poppy, kind of can grow anywhere. >> it is dry. the irrigation system, particular will any kniss province, happenednd, keck nats of war. before the soviet invasion in 1979 was a food xborting nation. there's no reason it can't be again. there's going to have to be is a stands efforts, sustained efforts in some areas to do eradication. canon narcotic is a three-legged stole. alternative livelihood. the problem i think has been that the three legs of the stole have never been balance under --

now they're trying to provide incentives for farmers to grow other crops. do the work allowing them to do so and ge out to the traffickers. they'll have to do all of those things. >> tough task. grichen peters, thanks. appreciate that. we've been hearing from you on many different levels. laura in iowa is writing this on. when i saw the taliban's video of private first class bowe, i realized every word was meant to feed the mind and heart of every mother, every military member. i knew how fast the military would inform our leaders as to our wishes. i realize that we are in a war of thoughts and feelings that can't win. frp this kwai knop another

disaster. in the whole region, civilians are as usual -- are as usual, rather, the victims in an overwhelming majority. we should more about the cause to the civilian population. how many were killed and wounded as compared to battants of all sides? this from d jay kigmore. taliban ancestors named part of the himalayan range extending between northern afghanistan and northwest pakistan, hindu kush mountain. that means killer. today the storms right -- of course, we're receiving a lot more comments about what u.s. military strategy should be at this point? and how will the world do you try to fight this narcotics war as well? we'll be joined by brigadier nen general are

it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. so what do you think?

i think i'll go with the basic package. good choice. only meineke lets you choose the brake service that's right for you. and save 50% on pads and shoes. meineke.

all right. all this hour discussing the increasing vitens in afghanistan before we continues let's look at the other stories in the headlines right now. honduras president jose manuel made another trip to honduras. nicaragua, to the border with nicaragua and honduras and today he set up camp at the border. explaining, he was out leaply and still this country's legal president. this rally taking place in new york with one of many demonstrators in 100 cities on six continents gathered the voice of anger at the iranian government. he demanneded the release of active -- this hour talking about afghanistan, and how the insurgency seems to be bubbling up there. the taliban gaining strength and momentum and all this at time when the u.s. is beginning to

send more u.s. troops from iraq to afghanistan. beefing up the number of u.s. troops there. early in this this week this is what defense secretary gates will to say about the situation in afghanistan. >> a percent on pace of operations in iraq and afghanistan over the last several years has steadily increased the number of troops not available for deployment in the army. these additional forces will be used to ensure that deploy the united nations of -- and joining this year from washington, good to see you. >> good to see you. >> what is troubling or alarming about what's taking place in afghanistan? >> well, nothing, really. it's a tough fight. our soldiers on the ground know it's a tough fight. the recent activity that the taliban may be because they believe there's an opportunity, they, perhaps, see weakness on

our part, but i think we've got the right strategy on the ground and i think over time our troops are going to do what needs to be done. >> really? nothing really troubles you about what's take thatting place now. ? it seem this world is -- quieting down in terms of u.s. casualty it british casualties and the map in the most recent moss, casualties on both sides, u.s. and british, have been going up and seeing an insurgency that much more it may be in response to what they had seen as lack of clarity on the part of the international community to fight this war. the enemy is going to take advantage when they see weakness. if they see strength, they see persistent, they see a response, i very gr fwrp that we can get up there and where we need to be. >> do you feel the taliban is exhibiting that they feel they have the advantage particularly

since there is private first place bowe bergdahl in captivity. they boldly released this tape showing him in captivity. whoever may be responsible for that saying, we've got the upper hand? >> well, if the dudes hi they have the important law's the and that is a fleeting moment and that we can get the upper hand sfacts for the afghan citizens. >> what are your concerns? u.s. troops making their way to afghanistan from iraq pap very different kind of war. there have been some military personnel who say it is and many of those troops are being relocatesed from iraq to afghanistan or being put at a disadvantage. what do you say to that? >> i'm not certain we actually taking forces from iraq and saiding them to feng shui bp

they were units otherwise going to iraq that will not not be going to afghanistan. i would be troubled if they didn't get sufficient training white back in the states or in europe before he deyoi. necessary need 20 to -- >> what kind of concerns do you have the focus for a number of u.s. troops in afghanistan has to be now on the poppy fields? on the farmers? on trying to weed out what is cash cow and what's fueling the taliban? is it a concern to you that some of the u.s. efforts, the focus is being changed, all because of the poppy growth. >> when you go after an anmy you go after his soers sources and sources of supply and strength. in in fact the taliban is funded by the poppy sales that's a role for the civilian institutions

such as the drug enforcements agency and u.s. embassy, but there is a rule for the military to enable that effort. thanks so much for joining us. appreciate your time. >> thank you. all right. much more straight ahead involving all that's take place in afghanistan. the afghan people, the civilians, particularly the women, have a growing concern about their rights and perhaps losing even more. p me breathe br all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways.

more now on the focus of afghanistan. women's rights already limited in that country. new concerns it's worsening. here now is our report. >> reporter: women in afghanistan have few rights enjoyed by men and now some may have even fewer. the afghan parliament pass add bill intended to give the minority shia community their own identity, but the latest draft appears to strip women are rights as simple as leaving the house without permission from a male relative. as extreme as allow a man to have sexual intercourse with his wife even if she says no. wondering what amounts to rape in marriage can be passed by

parliament and sign by president hamid karzai into law and lawmakers are baffled as well. the low are house the parliament initially debated the shia law. the 249 members in the lower house 68 are women and some of those women actually voted for the bill to pass. she voted against it. a rare voice for women's rights in a male dominated country. following her father's food steps she went into politics as member of the afghan parliament saying after the vote there was confusion. some had no idea what they were voting for. and now those without voices will suffer. >> my fear is that women and children are always the victim of political game. they don't have the gun to fight. >> reporter: for the international community the slaw plob. it wants a free afghan to make its own decision but this slaw

an affront to the principle of donors and should not be silenced. >> also to forget, i don't ask the community to come and make laws for us but they have to make the government accountable for their commitment to women and children situation. and basically human rights situation in this country. >> reporter: critic home the supreme court will rule it's at odds with the afghan constitution promising equal rights to all citizen, man and woman. most afghans haven't yet heard of the law but at least one shia man thought it appropriate. >> translator: shia people are in afghanistan. they are a part of afghanistan and there needs to be a law they go by and follow. >> reporter: the women -- they're harder to find and less ready to speak up. for cnn, kabul. our next guest has a special interest in what happens in afghanistan.

she was born there, but her family fled when she was just 2. and her soon to be released book, "however tall the mountain" she tells her story and the story of several girls with whom schae kept touch with over the years and joins us now from philadelphia. >> thank you. >> is it your feeling the women in afghanistan as a whole want the same things that the afghan women who are now currently living abroad, such as yourself, people you know who are living in the united states, do you all want the same thing for the women in afghanistan? >> sure. i mean, i would say on a very purposeful, yes, easy to say we want the same things but i haven't experienced the struggles and know what it's like more so on a daily basis to know what they're up against. very much so when it comes to women's rights, organic and come locally. it's not enough for me to tell them what they need. really, there is to speak up for themselves. the piece you just showed, a

very prominent member of the parliament as woman is doing that, and it's much more important and more critical that she speaks up, because i am not there every day and she is, and she is the one who better knows the struggles that women in her own country face. >> what has happened for women in afghanistan? because immediately after the fall of the taliban, shortly after 2001, there was this great rive of hope for women, because the taliban accused of holding women down and in so many different levels, but noi all of the sudden in the past year or so, a bubbling up talk of endorsements of shia laws that women are losing a lot of the rights that they gained just in the past serve ton eight years. >> sure. i mean, i think there is so much hope. after 9/11, and when the insurgency, taliban retreated from kabul, sadly a lot of that hope and optimism is gone. what's happened really, too, there hasn't been a concentrated effort to bring up also men within the community.

and in my own book i talk about that. that this is the women that have suffered. they garnered the most amount of attention. it's also the men who sifford alongside them. to some degree you're seeing resentment. i've worked with youth there and talked to the men and boys and a lot of times they will, where opportunity, only focussing on the women. when you look at the development the past several year, one area where maybe swhoe have focused more, working and looking at the people as a whole. as opposed to one segment of the population and not alienating others. >> shia law. when we talk about the young boy, young men, and some of them are feel a little neglected baufd the attention. what can become of the girl, become of the women? do some of these young men aspire to, are they hopeful are they encouraged by the taliban, this rising power? or is that a very antiquated

view of things? >> i think right now the alternatives and the options for many of the youth boys and girls. that's something that i speak often. they don't have many options as whole. regardless of what gender they are, as long as they don't have a solid form of education and basic commitment needs are met, certainly any alternatives become as very lucrative idea. >> what's your hope out of this war and what are the, i guess, signals of hope as you see this war evolve and change? taking lots of different shapes and forms within recent months. what's the realistic hope of what could come out of this? >> well, there are two things. my work in afghanistan has shown me if you do focus on them, they respond. they will be very receptive to opportunities that are provided to them. for me, my work is mostly with the girls' soccer program. whether on the field or off. i would say that the current administration fortunately has with the previous administration

sadly didn't have on no fault of their own. but that's experience. we've been in afghanistan seven years and we have to be able to look at those seven years and figure where we went wrong, but also where we went right. and i think moving forward, this current administration needs to assess the situation honestly openly and be constructive how to move forward. to say we might have failed in some areas isn't a bad thing. certainly it's a good thing to be able to assess that. i think where it can go, it can only go up but i think the moment is critical and the time is critical now for this administration to really figure out how we can work to move it forward. and i think particularly when you look at the youth, they don't have mitch of a voice at all within the political process and oftentimes their voice gets lost. what i tried to do, and you read the book, it's giving them a voice now and it's important to understand what they've gone through about how there is hope for the future and i think if there's any hope down the road that i think in 20 years it starts now. the seeds are planted today.

>> and the upcoming book "however tall the mountain." thanks for your time. appreciate that. >> thanks for having me. >> you made reference to the obama administration and how and what it will do to respond to this war. a lot of people are calling this obama's war and looking at the blog and facebook and many of you are taking issue with that. we talk with bill schneider exactly what is at stake and what this current add min station can or shoulding doing with regards to afghanistan.

in movies like "terminator" robots can do anything with think eyes. bionic vision isn't just for hollywood anyhoar. researchers at the university of washington are hard at work creating so-called electronic lenses, contact lenss with a computer-like display. >> the lenses will create an image that is suspended in air. about a foot or so in front of the eye. >> reporter: each lens equipped with tiny electronics and antennas that can communicate with your cell phone, lab topp or other helpful gadgets. >> this display possibly what they see in their gps system directly -- >> reporter: since the images of semitransparent they won't lock your line of sight. researchers say anyone, fighter pilots, doctors, just people with bad eyesight were benefit from the technology. it will be a while before you is

surf the web strolling down the sidewalk. >> very, very sophisticated and at a moment nowhere near about to create something that resembles that. >> reporter: gary tuchman, cnn. r all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways. to help me breathe better all day long. and it's not a steroid. announceit keeps my airways.

the fighting in afghanistan might have started under the bush administration but it is president obama's war now. so is his administration going about the right way? vis week vice president joe biden did an interview with the bbc saying, e it is worth the effort. we are making a sacrifice that is being felt and more will come. it is a place if it doesn't get straightened out we'll continue to wreak havoc on europe and the united states." and political analyst bill schneider join us live from washington. so this war, inhafrtsed by the obama administration, but why is it being called the obama war? why is now he bearing the responsibility of either ending it or offering some resolution that it? >> it's not obama's war. he wasn't there when the invasion happened a few months after 9/11. he was in illinois.

this is america's war and even more that that the war fought by the entire western alliance. all the country in nato are a sporting the war in support north american civilization. to call it obama's war, that's something said by obama's critics and quite unfair. it it is, however, a difficult war and a war that americans are becoming more wary about as casualties mount, as americans begin to be taken prider in, as we hear news of suicide bombings, of mines going off and, of course, the tragic deaths of afghan civilians as a result of this war. >> so a lot at stake. the british have lost a number of people, just as the u.s. has lost, particularly a lot of people, too. the british have 9,000 soldiers in afghanistan and this month alone have lost 19 soldiers. the americans so far, we're talking about 30 americans have

died in the first few weeks of july, surpassing june's total of 28. so an awful lot at stake for both great britain as well as the u.s. but my line between the u.s. and britain, might be line be jeopardized? could it be that great britain is saying, not sure if we really want to stay in much longer. if so washgs kind of blow would that be for the u.s.? >> reporter: i was recently in london and the newspapers and television news reports were full of criticism of the afghan war. the principle criticism was that the british government, the government of the labor party, brown, was not giving the british troops enough arms and enough protection. they were pinching pennies, weren't giving them enough support. one reason why they were under equipment and so many british soldiers were being lost. there is a mounting volume of criticism, however in britain of their effort in afghanistan, of what this war is being fought

for. a poll was taken and showed the british public still is in support of this war as is the american public. there is a growing aware wariness. the question is not the justifications of the war. you don't find the rage you found over the iraq war, which was really fought on deception, whether there was destruction and linked to 9/11. knop question the taliban and 9/11 and al qaeda linked to 9/11. the issue what is the united states, britain and the western alliance, what will constitute victory? what are they fighting sgror a military victory? a political war? that has yet to be clarified. >> bill schneider from washington. appreciate it. thanks so much to many of our guests joining us this hour for this discussion. ivan watson out of afghanistan. gretchen peters, from the top of the hour. brigadier general and of course our bill schneider there as well. i'm fredricka whitfield. thanks to you for contributing with questions ap comments.

see you again tomorrow. next on the "cnn newsroom," just minutes away. good friends -- we compare our progressive direct rates, apples to apples, against other top companies, to help you get the best price. how do you do that? with a touch of this button. can i try that? [ chuckles ] wow! good luck getting your remote back. it's all right -- i love this channel. shopping less and saving more. now, that's progressive. call or click today.