. >> lewis: this was the centcom network, the command that's fighting our two wars.nd some foreign power was able to get into their networks and sit there and see everything they did. >> kroft: what do you mean "sit there"? >> lewis: they could see what the traffic was, they could read documents, they could interfere with things. they were... it was like they were part of the american military command. >> kroft: lewis believes it was done by foreign spies who left corrupted thumbnail drives or memory sticks lying around in places where u.s. military personnel were likely to pick them up. as soon as someone inserted one into a centcom computer, a malicious code opened a backdoor for the foreign power to get into the system. so, presumably, nobody at the pentagon is plugging in... >> lewis: they've banned them. >> kroft: my impression is most people understand that there is a threat out there. i don't think most people understand that there are incidents that are happening. >> lewis: you know, i've been trying to figure out why that is. and some of it is the previous a

he has been a centcom commander all over the middle east. his job was to hand shake the world leaders in the country and win support in the mission not just in afghanistan, but across the region, getting countries to allow more covert military operations, which lots of people think is kind of the wave of the future in hunting and finding terrorists, more than a big counter insurgency war like we had in iraq, like we're having in afghanistan. training and deployment, training is always being modified. there are these huge mock, you see these huge centers out west and the east as well where troops go, to where it looks like you're right in the middle of the middle east right down to the last detail. i've been in some of them where they have even high definition video of your walking in and they have the steps leading into each room are a little cricketty like you would see in afghanistan. downtown to the last defail. the first question about is fighting an ideology, i'm not so sure where you're going with that. that. perhaps you meant the ideo

frankly, i was not aware -- >> as the centcom commander, senator. >> yes, i understand. in the years that i have been on this committee, when you go through confirmations, this is the first time i have heard the chairman say, when confirmed, not if confirmed. let's just keep that in mind. >> we have had three conversations, one before the nomination and two more in recent days. and by the way, he told me to give his love to senator mccain. and now with the focus shifting to the afghan popular effort program of his national security team. >> i think that is very important. there are a lot of things that have been done in iraq that perhaps should be done, and i feel very comfortable that you will go in and take advantage of that. at one of them was this taskforce, observe, detect, identify and neutralize. its objective was to take back the roads. general patraeus, under your leadership in iraq, our forces were using that "take back the road to" strategy. the results were great. at least, what i have read. they have been credited with killing 3000 ied in placers and capturi

he is also very well known internationally because of his role at centcom. he flew all over the middle east, country to country, seeking -- shaking hands. i can't imagine anyone else who comes in with not only the trust, but authority. host: has there been discussion in your news room about the longer-term impact of the training of generals and the need for increased political and media skills? guest: not in our newsroom. the talk overnight was, well, there goes our access for a while. host: no more reporters anywhere. guest: don't expect to get an energy -- exhibit any time soon. last night general petraeus said he will not be doing media engagements for a full 30 days. we will see if that holds. one report this morning says there will be in a presser -- there will be a presser later this afternoon. we will see if they will go forward with that. media training for general -- you know, this general mcchrystal was chosen specific live for skills at war and not for media training. what you had several gaffes through the media -- while you had several gaps thro

frankly, i was not aware -- >> as the centcom commander, senator. >> yes, understand. in the years that i have been on this committee, when you go through confirmations, this is the first timi have heard the chairman say, when confirmed, not if confirmed. let's just keep that in mind. >> we have had three conversations, one before the nomination and two more in recent days. and by the way, he told me to give his love to senator mccain. and now with the focus shifting to the afghan popular effort program of his national security team. >> i think that is very important. there are a lot of things that have been done in iraq that perhaps should be done, and i feel very comfortable that you will go in and take advantage of that. at one of them was this taskforce, observe, detect, identify and neutralize. its objective was to take ck the roads. general patraeus, under your leadership in iraq, our forces were using that "take back the road to" strategy. the results were great. at least, what i have read. they have be credited with killing 3000 ied in placers and capturing 50

this has been presented to general petraeus's staff and the people at centcom, they were very, very positive about the idea as indicated in the published report. i think this is fast gaining tracks as essential. and by the way, it is relevant as we get involved in this project in kandahar. if you look at the map over new pakistan -- pakistani port. now the port is a clear shot from kandahar. but never in our eight, nine years in afghanistan have we made a priority of linking that+ immediate port with the ring road via kandahar. this does two things. were we, in arriving in kandahar to say that within the next three weeks, you willlget a truck from here to the port with no more than six or eiiht hours at the border crossing, if we were to do that, we would ss juggle inccntives not only in the incentives would be different. you would have new actors, old actors taking up new rooes and so on. this is ours for the taking. i mean we are there.. right now. we can make this happen. if we choose not to, it will eventually happen without uu. but unfortunately, not to the benefit of our mission. >> th

i did submit the request for centcom 4 $2 billion for fiscal year 2011. that was based on developing mission central debilities for the iraqi security forces in preparation -- developing mission central capabilities for the iraqi security forces in preparation for mitigating and reducing the risk of u.s. forces leave iraq by the end of 2011. -- leaving iraq by the end of 2011. this money was earmarked and would be added to their budget to continue to develop their operations, including air sovereignty, and continued improvements in the navy, as well as other key enablers, such as isr and others that they're just beginning to develop. we think all of these are important. we want to get them to a minimum capability. this does not, by any means, complete with the would need in the long run. that would take several more years. it would give the initial capability to mitigate the risk in the reduction of u.s. forces by the end of 2011. >> general austin? >> thank you, sir. if confirmed, i would assess the impact of a loss of these resources once i'm on the gro

with that being said, general mcchrystal has been given guidance from here, from centcom, and certainly from the president that has been very clear. i have an expectation that a commander is someone with this kind of responsibility follow that guidance. as it in my statement, i think it has been evident in the last few days that he really committed a significant error in judgment. the president, rightfully so, relieved him for that. i am, not just now, but part of but i have been focused on since i've been chairman is to make sure there's no question about the neutrality of the military, the political aspect of the military, and the need to keep that in mind in absolutely everything we do. he is a friend. he is an extraordinary officer. he made a severe mistake and i think the actions that were taken were appropriate. >> was mcchrystal able to explain to either of you what he was thinking when he did this? what was his purpose in allowing a reporter that access and making those kinds of comments in front of them? >> we can address that and i think we have the same answer. that is that h

centcom has submitted these proposals. they're being reviewed quickly in the office of the secretary of defense and we'll be making a recommendation to the secretary very shortly. we do not judge at this point that the language needs to be changed. our reading of the language and those of our lawyers, our trusty lawyers, suggest that the flexibility is there to do this ki of thing. >> okay. we're running out of time here. i would only sugge that this is information i got from the field that there are things that we could use that we are restricted from using, so perhaps for the record, you could elaborate a little bit, both of you, on that, and maybe send us something. i'm running out of time here. let me just mention one of the things that is -- i have a hard time answering when i talk to pele. they talk about, well the surge was successful in iraq. the surge, however, in iraq, we had ended up wit close to 165,000 troops. in a period of time of 18 months. now we're looking at a surge that might be about 100,000 troops, an

keep in mind that during this entire time, general petraeus has been the centcom commander, meaning he has been responsible in part for overseeing what happened in afghanistan. that is part of the reason i think he will do such capable job. not only does he have extraordinary experience in iraq. not only did he helped write the manual for dealing with insurgencies, but he also is intimately familiar with the players. he knows president karzai and the other personnel already on the ground. so our team is going to be moving forward in sync. it is true that i am going to be insisting on the unity of purpose on the part of all branches of the u.s. government. that reflects the enormous sacrifices being made by that young men and women who are there. every time i go to walter reed, when i visit afghanistan and i visit the hospitals and you see young men and women who are giving their all, making enormous sacrifices on behalf of the security of this nation, my expectation is that the leadership is true to those sacrifices, that the strategy we are promoting, the manner in which we are workin

unwavering support and abiding concern for the more than 215,000 troopers deployed throughout the centcom area of responsibility and for their families as well. thank you very much. >> thank you very much, general petraeus. general, let me start with you, relative to the issue which i raised about the afghan army not being adequately released down in this out with a major fighting is taking place and will take place in the months ahead we have thousands of troops and afghanistan and half of them are deployed in, and and kandahar -- in helmand and kandahar. how many afghan troops are there currently in kandahar and helmand and how many do we expect will be there in september? >> i would be happy to get that for you for the record. pf i could, rather, just provide the overview of what is that we are trying to accomplish in that area -- we touched on the importance of getting the afghans in the lead we had a video teleconference with the general mcchrystal this morning, in fact. secretary flournoy and i participate in that. pn that, and he described how he would use the additional elements o

general mcchrystal has been given guidance from here, centcom and certainly from the president, and this has been very clear. i believe that the commander, somebody with four stars and this responsibility will follow that guidance. as i have said in my statement and as has been evident in the last few days, he committed an error in judgment, and the president, rightfully so, relieved him for this. i am not just now, part of what i have been focused on since i have been the chairman, is to make certain that there is no question about the neutrality of the military, and the need to keep that in mind in everything that we do. an extraordinary officer and he made a severe mistake and i believe that the actions that were taken were appropriate. >> was he able to talk to either of you about what he was thinking? he is allowing us with access and making these comments in front of them? >> he was not trying to explain this, he just said that he had made a terrible decision. >> can you tell me what you believe that this breakdown was like? you both know him so well, people keep asking what he was

centcom has submitted these proposals. they're being reviewed quickly in the office of the secretary of defense and we'll be making a recommendation to the secretary very shortly. we do not judge at this point that the language needs to be changed. our reading of the language and those of our lawyers, our trusty lawyers, suggest that the flexibility is there to do this kind of thing. >> okay. we're running out of time here. i would only suggest that this is information i got from the field that there are things that we could use that we are restricted from using, so perhaps for the record, you could elaborate a little bit, both of you, on that, and maybe send us something. i'm running out of time here. let me just mention one of the things that is -- i have a hard time answering when i talk to people. they talk about, well the surge was successful in iraq. the surge, howeve in iraq, we had ended up with close to 165,000 troops. in a period of time of 18 months. now we're looking at a surge that might be about 100,000 troop

--centcom has submitted proposals. they are being reviewed. we do not think this point the language needs to be changed. our reading of the language suggests that the flexibility is there to do this kind of thing. >> we're running out of time. i would suggest that this is information that i got from the field, that there are things we are restricted from using. perhaps for the record, if you could both elaborate on that and maybe send us something. i have a hard time answering this when i talk to people. the talk about a surge being successful in a rock -- they talk about the surge being successful in iraq. we're now looking at a surge that might be about 100,000 troops and talking about nine months. considering afghanistan is about twice the size of barack -- iraq, it is hard for me to explain to people why this number will work in afghanistan when it took so much more in iraq. do you have anything to share? >> i do. thank you. with respect on the timing of the actual search in a riraq, we had all of the surge forces on the ground in june or

centcom has submitted these proposals.hey're being reviewed quickly in the office of the secretary of defense and we'll be making a recommendation to the secretary very shortly. we do not judge at this point that the language needs to be changed. our reading of the language and those of our lawyers, our trusty lawyers, suggest that the flexibility is there to do this kind of thing. >> okay. we're running out of time here. i wouldnly suggest that this is information i got from the field that there are things that we could use that we are restricted from using, so perhaps for the record, you could elaborate a little bit, both of you, on that, and maybe send us something. i'm running out of time here. let me just mention one of the things that is -- i have a hard time answering when i talk to people. they talk about, well the surge was successful in iraq. the surge, however, in iraq, we had ended up with close to 165,000 troops. in a period of time of 18 months. now we're looking at a surge that might be about 100,000 troops,

with that said, general mcchrystal has been given guidance from here, from centcom , and certainly from the president. i had the expectation that somebody with four-stars in this responsibility should follow that guidance. as i said i in my statement, he really committed a significant error in judgment. the president, rightfully so, relieved him for that. i am, not just now, but part of what i have been focused on since i have been the chairman is to make sure that there is no question about neutrality in the military, the apolitical aspect of the military, and the need to keep that in mind in absolutely everything that we do. he is a friend. he is an extraordinary officer. he made a severe mistake, and i think the actions that were taken were appropriate. >> was general mcchrystal able to explain to any of you what he was thinking? what was this purpose in allowing a reporter that access and making this kind of comments in front of him? >> we can both address that. itt but that the same answer. in my meeting with him, he did not try to explain it, he just demolished that he had made a