some of these guys who joined the police, if there's a threat they might not be able to stay in nari surag and they might move them to kanishin in the south, "i don't want to leave home." we have to understand that and respect that. but that is a challenge. is they don't like leaving home. home is home. but i think that's what we're trying to do. make sure pashtun are in the police. and the afghan army move out of the populated centers. we're not at that point yet where the police are conducting criminal investigations. collecting evidence. it's still a work in progress. so the -- and the police are working through a history of corruption. the local people still are hesitant. so the army's playing a strong role. they are pretty well respected. but we're working through that stage of moving the army out and having the police do more of law enforcement rather than combat operations. but that's where the local home grown pashtuns are going to focus their efforts. >> yes, question in the back. >> good morning, general. i'm originally from afghanistan. i work as a subject matter expert at the m

places like nari surage which today is the most kinetic district in afghanistan. it's changed dramatically over the past year due to some of the things we did this year. but so there is still some taliban insurgent activity there. then in upper helmand valley, places like haji ki. places like that. the taliban are on their heels. because we recently -- it was really the last piece of real estate we cleared was haji ki dam. so they're on their heels. but behind them is a transit area for drugs, for poppy growth, that's owned by our friend that i just mentioned earlier, and his boys. they still own that territory. at this stage, we are no longer in the business of clearing real estate. it is now the afghans providing the security. so from south to north, it gets increase -- it's increased taliban involvement. taliban funding. et cetera. but you're absolutely right. there is -- there are a lot of local nationals who get themselves into trouble, who get an opportunity to make a few bucks by planting an ied. they're really not taliban. they're just people that quite ho