vali nasr, let me start with you. general dempsey, we heard him say this is a very serious threat to the war effort. we know that secretary panetta, in addition to what we just heard him say, also called this the last gasp of a dying insurgency. who is right? >> well, the taliban have been under pressure for some time, but they are proving to be very entrepreneurial and effective in carrying out new ways of attack. they're trying to send a message to the afghan people that they still have fight in them, that they have momentum on their side. i think the fact that these attacks continue and we see more and more americans and foreign troops die and there is audacious attacks on bases, the result does worry the afghan population that the taliban has still got a lot of energy at the same time we're telling the afghan population that we are ready to leave. >> woodruff: hodo you see this? which is it? >> i think it can be both. we have put the taliban under a great deal of pressure. we are now withdrawing the surge troops t