>> >>AMITA: THREE MARINES WERE KILLED FROM CAMP PENDLETON AND THREE FROM CAMP LEJEUNE.
TODAY SEVEN TROOPS ON THE AFGHAN SIDE WHEN THEIR HELICOPTER CRASHED.
THE TALIBAN SAYS THEY SHOT DOWN THE AIR CRAFT.
>> >>BETH FORD ROTH: THESE THREE MEN WERE PART OF A SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNIT, THEY WERE
AS YOU SAID BASED AT CAMP PENDLETON, AND FROM WHAT CAN UNDERSTAND, THEY WERE INVITED BY
AN AFGHAN POLICE OFFICER TO A PRE DAWN MEAL BECAUSE IT WAS RAMADAN, AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED
TO EAT DURING DAY LIGHT HOURS.
THEY WENT DO THIS MEAL WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THEY WOULD SHARE A MEAL AND DISCUSS SECURITY
ISSUES AND THEN THIS OFFICER THEN SHOT AND KILLED THE THREE CAMP PENDLETON MARINES.
>> >>AMITA: AND THIS FOLLOWS ANOTHER INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN WHICH WE THREE AMERICAN
TROOPS WERE KILLED BY A UNIFORMED AFGHAN PERSON.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT?
>> >>BETH FORD ROTH: IT HAPPENED THE SAME DAY.
IT HAPPENED LATER THAT DAY, THREE MARINES WERE IN A GYM, WORKING OUT, AND A UNIFORMED
AFGHAN ENTERED THE GYM WITH WHAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS AN AK47 AND OPENED FIRE.
ONE OF THE MARINE'S FATHERS TOLD A NEWSPAPER I FEEL LIKE MY SON WAS EXECUTED.
>> >>AMITA: BETH, IN BOTH CASES, THESE AMERICAN TROOPS WERE KILLED BY UNIFORMS AFGHAN SECURITY
FORCES.
DOES THIS MEAN THAT THE VERY PEOPLE THAT AMERICAN SOLDIERS ARE TRAINING ARE TURNING ON THEM,
OR IS THIS SIMPLY TALIBAN INFILTRATION?
>> >>BETH FORD ROTH: IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A LITTLE OF BOTH.
SO THE FIRST TIME THIS WEEK, DEFENSE SECRETARY LEON PANETTA CAME OUT AND SAID YES, THIS IS
THE TALIBAN RESPONSIBLE.
AND THE TALIBAN HAS TAKEN CREDIT WITH THE FIRST SHOOTING OF THE THREE CAMP PENDLETON
MARINES.
THE TALIBAN SPOKESMAN CAME OUT AND SAID THAT THIS POLICE OFFICER AFTER SHOOTING THE THREE
MARINES CAME OVER TO THE TALIBAN INSURGENCY.
HE JOINED INSURGENCY.
SO IT IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE MISSION RIGHT NOW IS TO BE TRAINING AFGHANS THE SECURITY
FORSZS FORCES TO TAKE OVER SECURITY IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY AND THERE'S GOT TO BE A LITTLEÊ
TRUST BETWEEN OUR TROOPS AND THE SECURITY FORCES W.THIS GREEN ON BLUE VIOLENCE T SEEMS
LIKE IT P MAKES THAT MISSION ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT.
>> >>AMITA: SO WHEN THE MISSION IS OVER IN 2014, WHEN THE U.S. EXITS, THE FACT THAT THERE
ARE PEOPLE FROM AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES THAT ARE GOING TO THE TALIBAN SIDE, WHAT DOES THIS
SAY ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAP TOON AFGHANISTAN WHEN THE UNITED STATES LEAVES?
>> >>BETH FORD ROTH: I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT THAT.
THAT AT THE END OF 2014, IT'S A DEADLINE THAT MAYBE ISN'T ROOTED IN ACTUALITY.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN WORD THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE AN AMERICAN PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN.
NOT WHAT WE HAVE NOW, NOT IN THE PART OF THE NATO FORCE, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, THERE'S CONCERN
WHEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING OVER SECURITY FOR THE COUNTRY SEEM TO BE MOVING
TOWARDS THE INSURGENCY.
I WOULD IMAGINE THERE'S CONCERN THAT DOESN'T REALLY BODE WELL FOR THE FUTURE AFTER 2014.
>> >>AMITA: ONE FINAL QUESTION; THE COST OF THIS WAR WAS ALMOST 500ÊBILLION DOLLARS.
WHAT WAS THE MISSION, WHAT WAS THE ACCOMPLISHED OR WAS A IT A FAILURE?
>> >>BETH FORD ROTH: I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING FOR HISTORIANS TO LOOK AT FOR YEARS TO COME
AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET A DIFFERENT OPINION FROM EVERY PERSON THAT YOU ASK.
I THINK THE MISSION ORIGINALLY WAS WE HAD BEEN ATTACKED ON 911, AND WE WERE AFTER THE
MAN WHO ATTACKED US, OSAMA BIN LADEN AND THE TALIBAN HAD BEEN SUPPORTING HIM Y.THINK THAT
WAS THE ORIGINAL GOAL.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, FROM THAT POINT UNTIL 10 YEARS LATER WHEN OUR GOAL RIGHT NOW IS TO BASICALLY
HAND OVER SECURITY TO THE AFGHANS THEMSELVES, IT'S HARD TO SAY SUCCESS/FAILURE, THAT SOMETHING
THAT I THINK WE'LL BE STUDYING AND LOOKING AT FOR DECADES AND DECADES TO COME.
>> >>AMITA: BETH FORD ROTH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
>> >>BETH FORD ROTH: YOUR WELCOME.