and carla robbins, the deputy ge editor of "the new york times." welcome to you both. >> thank you, martin. >> all right, afghanistan pageant let's begin there. the beginning of the week, general mcchrystal delivered a pretty terse kind of assessment of where things were. he said essentially the taliban hold the upper hand. i presume actually he was blatantly honest. but was he too honest? did he go too far. >> well you want your guy to be honest. we have the a-team in place now in afghanistan, and in fact, up the national security command chain. the real question is giving this difficult, difficult conflict, the best attention, the right resources, is it still possible to do anything significantly constructive and actually get somewhere, or are we just kicking the can down the road before ultimately withdrawing and leaving the thing in chaos? >> how many troops do we need? sort of a question here whether mcchrystal was going to ask for more troops know that the secretary of defense said, no. >> he said he had asked for if now. he said wasn't going

deon rose, the managing edit of "foreign affairs" magazin and carla robbins, t deputy ge editor of "the new york times." welce to you both. >> thank you, martin. >>ll right, afghanistan pageant let'segin there. thbeginning of the week, general mcchrystal delivered a prettyerse kind ofssessment of where things were. he saidssentially the taliban hold the upper hand. i presume actually he wa blatantly honest. butase too honest? did he go too far >> well you wan your guy to be honest. we havthe a-team in pce now in afghanistan,nd in fact up the naonal security command chai the real question is ving this diffict, difficult conflict the best attention, the right reurces, is it illossible to do anythingignificantly constructive and aually get somewhere, or aree just kicking the n dow the road before ulmately withdrawing and leavg the thing in chaos? >> how many troo do we need? so o a question here whether mcchrystal was going to as for more troops know that the cretary of defense sai no. >> he said he had asked for i now. said wasn't going to askor it, or he wodn't get them. the aren't a lot