no foreign troops were killed, but nine afghans died. it was part of a new spasm of anti-american violence. mangled automobiles were all that remained after a suicide car bomber rammed the gates of a nato base and airport in. >> labad. that followed the killing two american soldiers by an afghan soldier last week and then on saturday in the heart of kabul, two u.s. military advisors were murdered inside the afghan interior ministry. according to police, an afghan driver shot them from behind as they were working. today, a u.s. military spokesman said a nationwide manhunt for the suspect was ongoing. >> the investigation is just now underway. the afghans are also investigating it as well. we're working together with them on that. the killer fled. and there is an active search to find him. >> woodruff: the taliban claimed responsibility as revenge for the burning of muslim holy books at a u.s. military base last week. in all, at least 40 people have been killed in six days of deadly protests and attacks since then. afghan president hamid k

coalition and afghan forces and against the afghan people. pakista pakistan'sry fusal to go after the network in north waziristan and the taliban -- belies pakistan's assertions that it is committed to peace and security in the region. pakistan's support which former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff admiral mullen called it a veritable arm of the isi is a major cause for u.s.-pakistan relations reaching it's lowest pace. we need to understand the intelligence community's assessment of mack stan's strategy with respect to these insurgent groups and the reconciliation process as to pakistan's power to determine -- and as to pakistan's power to determine outcomes. the u.s. campaign against the global jihadist movement as director clamper's opening statement called it had a number of notable exception -- these successes struck major blows to al qaeda senior leadership into one of its most active affiliates. as a result of these operations, and sustained pressure in pakistan, yemen, somalia and north africa, al qaeda and it's affiliates are s

even female soldiers to many afghans look like they are men. any gesture that is innocent, -- we are still trying to do things. we try to increase female voter registration. what would you chalk up as your biggest success when you were stationed there? >> honestly, maybe not when you think of, but trying to understand the human terrain and the history. we are relentlessly rotating units and always have a short- term mentality. it is difficult to get to the point where you might have wisdom about a place. i inherited and expanded a who is who of the province. that is a living document. i would like to hope it is still there >> what is the biggest impact when you are there and people you know are dying? >> if you want to focus on the negative aspects, you certainly deal with issues of mortality early, and depending what age you are that could be fed to dramatically. there are things i've not seen -- age you are, that could effect you dramatically. there are things i have not seen, likely. -- luckily. that sense of mortality, then the sense of bei

the afghans themselves afghan men and women and now you're working for me and i try to open up for. college of women leadership and i'm stuck to teach women to be the leaders of the future. we should be going in and providing economic opportunities educational opportunities but it's alternately for the afghan people to determine how their social progress is going to proceed. rights aren't given they have to be taken have got to stop me so you have asked me if men give women the right to drive a car to join the army or to fight with these other rights that must be taken by a woman who has to drive or get a degree book on a boy or women can do the same as men because women are capable john but overtook the these are not rights that men give us but rights that we have to take what some have called a halt as big so we need to work with but the main to teach them and problem them that that is their right of. every member of their family. because men are the decision making. men are the power. men are who can make change make a difference so if you do not work with me so we don't have. th

than the afghan people face a choice. back the taliban or the afghan government. many people still have not made up their mind. >> this is the afghan police in action. here, they are fighting the taliban, but they also collaborate with the insurgents. they say these man can be trusted. but some reports cannot be believed. >> they have detainees that have just been captured. the perception of their campaign, they are telling us that they think they are winning, and they are telling us that they want us to leave. >> the future of afghanistan depends on its neighbors, and none more so than pakistan. but there are reports that islamabad is supporting the insurgents. the taliban are islamabad according to one report. >> these claims are not new. these kinds of been made for many, many years. it is up to the neighbors like pakistan -- important, yes, but neighbors like pakistan. >> and what of afghanistan for all future? -- and what of afghanistan's future? many afghans from the government to the armed forces when they fear the taliban will be back in power. bbc news, k

and without the support of afghan security forces a u.s. troop withdrawal than in the near future looks unlikely so what's really behind this violence and what does the united states have to do now to get things back on track or is it even possible ali garrett joins me now he is the national security reporter with think progress dot org ali welcome to the program thanks tom it's good to be back thank you thanks for joining us again just speaking as an average american i'm guessing that if mexico or even canada had invaded the united states because they thought our president was a threat to world peace and had taken off george w. bush on them and then occupied our streets and bomb dissidents in the sky with drones that a hell of a lot of americans would be out on the streets shooting at a mexican or canadian occupiers how could george w. bush have thought it would be any different when he began the invasion occupation of afghanistan. well i mean as far as beginning the invasion i think it did come from nine eleven so that he had a reason you

it is done by the afghans for... with the afghans. and it sounds as a rather confrontational, destructive thing, and i'm sure you've come across unhappy farmers. but the point is that it's done by them. it's an alternative livelihood program. it's more than just getting rid of poppy. it's actually giving them a realistic substitute. >> interviewer: aren't we getting involved in semantics? >> narrator: producer jamie doran questioned the role of nato troops in the eradication program. >> interviewer: you give them the protection. they couldn't do it without you. >> that is true. >> interviewer: the guns and the armored cars, as well. >> we don't eradicate poppy, and... >> interviewer: i'm sorry, it really is semantics here. >> well, you may call it that, but i would disagree. we do not adicate poppy. what we do is provide the secure environment, the stability to enable them to have an alternative livelihood. >> narrator: that "alternative livelihood" is an ambitious infrastructure program for growing substitute crops like wheat or maiz

government and afghan forces.t results in engagement between our forces and there's every day on hundreds of missions that take place without incident. >> germany and france have pulled their advisers out of the ministry. . it seems like hundreds of people essentially. if we cannot work with them or trust them, how are we going to train them to stand up when u.s. forces leave? >> i will give you the answer that i have given out, which is this incident in particular being investigated by both the afghan government and of course i staff -- isaf, the fact is, the way to wind down this war is the way that has been made clear by the president and that is to transfer responsibility to afghan forces. that allows us to draw down our troops and bring american men and women home. we will be continuing in that effort. it remains absolutely a national security priority of the united states to ensure that we defeat al qaeda, which is why we are in afghanistan to begin with. and in furtherance of that goal that we stabilize the

this is supposed to be an afghan operation. the so-called british advisers do a lot more than just advising. they are still performing the most essential tasks. here, they go to recover a vehicle hit by a television bomb. their stuff in their tracks by another suspect device -- they are stopped in their tracks by another suspect device. after a tense hour and a half, the bomb is revealed as a decoy. compare these flimsy afghan army pickups to this british vehicle. it is far deadlier and more difficult to destroy. >> they're very good. when it comes to a fight, they are absolutely up for it. it's the bigger picture now. it is insuring they have the vehicles and getting the logistics' up and running to keep what is actually a huge army on the road and in the fight. >> much is asked of afghan security forces. britain wants to speed up the handover, allowing its troops to draw back sooner. if the transfer comes to early, it runs the risk of afghan forces being overwhelmed. bbc news, southern afghanistan. >> sadness on the music ind

afghans are in favor of international support for their not in favor of a lot of this kind of anti afghan anti muslim behavior which that they see as. an identity crisis that's occurring right now it's as if this is their afghan idea that is being taken from them from foreign occupier and i will tell you the americans that are serving over there the soldiers the guys on the ground these are these are good people that have real good intentions but however due to the nature of war due to the bad situations that they're put in all kinds of unexpected behaviors and with p.t.s.d. with bad diplomatic skills and bad cultural training as well you know you see this kind of stuff happen and. we should be we should know this isn't going to be the last time we're going to see something like this because i are going to show you this probably wasn't done on purpose this was probably an accident but something like this is going to happen again it's only going to make the hearts and the minds campaign in afghanistan and globally basically untenable and lastly really quickly this is all happening as the u

he did not qualify to join the afghan national army.een hospitalized in one of the mental hospital, and he had a recruitment file by bribing a localç official in kabul, saying it's the first place he should have not been in the army.ç >> what's thought to have trirged his actions on these troops?ç >> it's still not clear if he had any taliban links at all. that's the subject of an investigation by the after began defense, but we do know that he was not mentally stable. he even threatened to burn, kill his partner, and kill his stepmother. by investigating this series of events, you've uncovered some short comings in the actual application process. explain this. >> well, there are hundreds ofñ files. these are the ones that were discovered by the afghan national army. at least 500 people were turned down because of having links with the taliban. they're suspected of being with the enemy, as well as the fact that quite a number of people have been -- it was only introduced 10 months ago, so we don't know how many people may be posing a

strategy, you know, is this partnership with the afghan government, the training of afghan troops and working alongside them. is all of that now potentially in jeopardy? >> i have been skeptical about this from the start. once we get u.s. combat forces out of afghanistan, it was going to be 2014. secretary panetta said it's 2013. we need to re-evaluate the notion of having thousands of americans isolated all over afghanistan. it's about time for us to step forward and take a new look at our security strategy. >> general barry mccaffrey, joining us from seattle, general, thank you. >>> now, to the other big story that a lot of other folks woke up to this morning, news that 93-year-old former president of south africa, nelson mandela, has been hospitalized. nbc news special correspondent charlain hunter-gault is joining us from johannesburg with the latest on his condition. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. well, the news tonight is cautiously optimistic. the word is that nelson mandela is resting comfortably after being admitted to hospital this morning with stomach pain

>> i would refer you to the afghan government for statements from the afghan president. i pointed out that president karzai has made very clear and birds to try to ask for calm, which is helpful, as have other senior leaders of the afghan government. the defense minister expressed condolences and apologized to secretary panetta for these this evidence of an involving the two officers at the interior ministry. i am not sure what you mean by the taliban getting off scot- free. what our policy is is to defeat al qaeda come disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al qaeda. to the extent that the taliban is -- we are fighting the taliban, in our effort to disrupt and defeat, and dismantle al qaeda, we're doing it to get the afghan government that it needs to build up its security forces and stabilize its control over the country so that we can transfer security lead over two afghan security forces. it is also the case that most insurgencies require political settlement. this one does. that is why we support an afghan-lead process of reconciliation with clear conditions that any taliba

this has been a long line of insults for the afghan people. last year the -- a pastor in florida burns a koran intentionally. that caused protests throughout the country and a few months ago a video of u.s. marines urinating on dead taliban fighters also caused outrage here in afghanistan. >> what can you tell us about the investigation into what happened over the weekend inside the military compound where two united states military officers were murdered? we're hearing and reading reports it was an afghan soldier who turned. the taliban is taking responsibility and claiming this guy as one of their own. what's the latest on what exactly happened and how it happened. >> reporter: well, we're getting conflicting information. people are being very tight-lipped, whether it be in the military or afghan government. what we do know is this man had access to heavily port fied interior ministry. he made their way inside the offices of this -- these two u.s. officers. he was able to shoot them and point blank range. they can't even say for sure if the

this week, a dozen afghan police died defending u.s. bases from violent protesters. >> i'm proud to call him my brother, i'm proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with him in this great conflict. >> and nick schifrin joins us now from kabul. nick, you've been there four years. we know there's been wariness in the past, but have you ever seen a level of distrust like this? >> no, i've never seen this. by far, the worst case of a lack of trust. now, the pentagon said today that this incident won't change the strategy but the fact is on the ground here, until that trust can be regained on both sides from kabul all the way to the front lines, it's hard to see how the u.s. plan for withdrawal is going to work, diane. >> it is the linchpin of being able to withdraw. thank you, nick. i'm so struck again by the officer who said there have to be five armed soldiers in the room with him now when he meets with an afghan. thank you, nick. >>> and we stay overseas. the indian ocean, a kind of deja vu. another carnival cruise ship in distress. 1,000 pe

afghan workers found u.s. troops burning the koran in a waste incinerator.hey rescued several copies from the fire. but i threw myself into the flames and from chapters of the koran on fire. they were american sex magazines in there, too. right at the airbase, president obama in the past visit, but even he is involved. in a letter to the afghan leader, he expressed deep regret .ommot apologies are not enough, says this man. they should be put on trial. it may be a mistake, but few afghans can understand how the americans can do something as inflammatory as burn the koran. it is the equivalent of a surrender. they have handed the enemy of a huge propaganda victory. >> live from singapore and london. still to come, more on the situation in syria as our correspondent trouble with opposition forces inside the country. >> radio free columbia. an american broadcast hoping to raise awareness for the hostages being held by guerrillas. time now for a brief look at the stories which are making headlines around the world. we began with the story on how the united natio

to go at least seven afghans have been killed yesterday. -- >> kelly 7 afghans have been killed yesterdayo american soldiers as well. -- at least 7 afghans have been killed yesterday. >> they get emotional and go on the streets. unfortunately it can cause a loss of life as well. i believe it can be really organized. tomorrow, which is a very sensitive day because it is friday, i think it can be controlled. unfortunately, if there will be lack of management, it can provoke people even further. >> this is in some ways a gift to the taliban who want . >> yes, and this is not fortunate for afghans as well. we do have a plan for partnership between afghanistan and america. all afghans condemned the action. it is such a holy book for everyone. since it was not the intention and happened by mistake, humans always make mistakes come in for that reason i think we should not get emotional. leaders have responsibilities to find solutions for the problem. not to make the situation even more complicated. so for that reason, it is very important for afghans come as well as for americans to control the

the afghan government says the man who killed two american soldiers inside a highly secured afghan government building is an afghan intelligence officer. president hamid karzai has offered condolences to the families of the four americans killed since news that u.s. personnel apparently inadvertently burned copies of the koran at an air base in afghanistan. karzai called for calm but insisted the u.s. must prosecute those responsible for burning the muslim holy book. joining from me kabul, ryan crocker. mr. ambassador, let me ask you, first, the u.s. over more than ten years has spent half a trillion dollars in afghanistan, almost 2,000 american lives have been lost, and the american people wake up this morning to find that two high military officers sitting inside a secured afghan government building were murdered basically by someone who was, you know, freely walked into na building and the burning of the u.s. flags, two soldiers killed in trying to combat protests. why in the world shouldn't americans be waking up saying we've got to get out of there? >> well, candy, a terrible event, stro

the afghans while increasing are still rare. in fact, half a dozen afghan prisoners were injured this week defending bases from angry protesters. >> nick schifrin in kabul. thanks so much. i want to bring in our senior affairs correspondent martha raddatz. you've reported on this delicate relationship with the afghans. aside from the immediate loss of these two american officers, there's a mump bigger loss here, too. >> there is, david. this is a very effective strategy by the enemy. i've been with these forces many times and this will separate the afghan security forces from the americans not only physically but psychologically, at a time when the americans really need to have eye strong influences on the forces. >> immeasurable setback there. martha, another head line developing, we remember the images after the capturing of osama bin laden. now comes word of the bulldozers moving in? >> bulldozers have moved in. we have those old pictures and pictures from today. the pakistanis did this in the deep of night. you can barely ma

and afghan officials. tara mergener has the latest. >> reporter: thousands of afghans took to the streets. launching a fourth day of deadly protests over the burning of korans at a u.s. military base. afghan security forces fired their guns into the air in kabul trying to get the crowds to break up. they were on high alert. dressed in riot gear, and expecting angry crowds after friday prayers. some of the demonstrations happened outside the air base, that's where the korans were burned tuesday. an afghan soldier killed two american soldiers. the top u.s. commander in afghanistan visited that base telling u.s. forces that now is not the time for revenge. and he asked afghans to exercise restraint and patience. >> we admit our mistakes. we ask for forgiveness. we seek to move on. >> reporter: the president also apologized for the incident in a letter to afghan president hamid karzai. the white house says president obama's main concern is the safety of americans in afghanistan. u.s. officials insist the copie

this is an afghan army operation. road, blocking the convoy. >> british soldiers are in the rear. they won't be doing any of the fighting. on the ground, these british advisors are trying to get the afghan army to go it alone as they search for the taliban. the afghan general in charge is brimming with confidence. he tells me, it our foreign friends are in the back giving us support, but we know this place better. we know the language, and only we can search the people in the houses, not foreigners. it doesn't go too badly for the general. his neighbor helped by the fact that there aren't many taliban around. most have disappeared for the winter. this is supposed to be an afghan operation, but these so-called british advisors are doing a lot more than just advising. they're still performing the most essential tasks. here, they're recovering a vehicle hit by a taliban bomb, but they're stopped in their tracks by another suspected device. leaving the safety of their armored truck, they inch closer, reaching out to clear

have pulled all their personnel out of the afghan ministries. so basically, you have a situation here where the u.s. is working with the government, but we don't trust the security inside the ministries of that very same government. we won't put u.s. personnel in there because we don't think it's safe. how do you reach agreements under that kind of tone? >> again, you just keep pushing ahead. the very prudent step that general allen took yesterday mirrors my own. i pulled embedded civilians out of ministries. tensions are running very high here. and i think we need to let things calm down, return to a more normal atmosphere, and then get on with business. and it doesn't mean that we're not doing business now. we are. with both military counterparts and civilian counterparts. again, these are terrible tragedies. and very worthy of the condemnation they have received. this is not the time to decide that we're done here. we've got to redouble our efforts. we've got to create a situation in which al qaeda is not coming back. >> we have heard over an

military and afghan stand really me. welcome the loner show we'll get the real headlines with none of the mersey we're going live to washington d.c. now tonight we're going to speak to josh fox director of the anti fracking documentary gasland yesterday while attempting to film a hearing on the hill foxes arrested by capitol police so he's going to tell us his story that will take a look at what an earlier withdrawal plan in afghanistan really means are we giving up and packing our bags and should we have done this much sooner robert farley is going to join us plus federal reserve chairman ben bernanke he gave a gloomy warning today in testimony on capitol hill he says the unsustainable deficits have major costs and stokes fears of the u.s. could be the next greece so is he right or discuss it with william black or have all that and more video night including a dose of happy hour but first let's take a look at the mainstream media has decided to miss. all right so yesterday secretary of defense leon panetta announced som

utilize them against the afghan government and afghan and international security forces. >> mitt romney has regained the mantle of clear frontrunner for the republican party to challenge barack obama. in the primary he polled 47 % of the vote easily beating his rival newt gingrich who received 32%. we have this report from the campaign trail. >> that's not just excitement on the faces of mitt romney's supporters. it's relief. his campaign is back on track and will once again be seen as the frontrunner. he's behaving as though he's already the republican delegate. >> tomas pain was told to have said lead, follow or get out of the way. president obama, you have chosen to follow rather than lead and now it's time for you to get out of the way. >> 13,000 intensely negative tv ads attacking his opponent. gingrich was crushed but as the signs say he plans to fight on in all the internal party elections yet to come. >> i just want to reassure them tonight, we are going to contest every place and win and we will be in tampa as the nominee in august. >> mitt's campaign tends to prove the sort of

it happened just one day after two american military advisers were murdered inside an afghan governmentompound in kabul. the revolt poses a worrisome new threat to the war that already claimed more than 1,900 american lives. and with 96,000 americans still in the country, many of them working side by side their afghan counterparts, it also threatens to shake the very underpinnings of the u.s. strategy there. andrea mitchell will give us the take from washington. but we begin in a snowy kabul where nbc's atia abawi has more on today's bloodshed. atia? >> reporter: good evening, lester. well, though there are fewer protests today, there is still a great deal of anger here, primarily directed towards americans and other foreigners. six days on and the rage continues. in kunduz province, demonstrators targeted an american base today and in the chaos, someone threw a grenade, wounding at least seven u.s. soldiers. meanwhile, a manhunt is under way for the suspect in yesterday's killing of two high ranking american officers working inside the heavily fortified interior ministry in kabul. offi

and for afghans. the aprp is a nationwide afghan program. it provides insurgents with an opportunity to peacefully end permanently leave the battlefield and rejoin their communities with their dignity and honor intact. it is not a surrender program, nor is it an amnesty program for nor is it an amnesty program for the criminal behavior. any counterinsurgency strategy includes the non-military solution that reaches out to the insurgents with the goal of peaceful reintegration where everyone benefits. this program ambitiously seeks to deliver peace at the very local level. a cornerstone of this local approach is the resolution of grievances that led people to fight or become insurgence in the first place. it's accepted that the overwhelming majority of those fighting in the south and other areas are fighting for the mom ideological reasons. it becomes clear then that addressing the grievances can call them back into society. the aim of the aprp is to build trust and confidence among people who've been f