Gen. McKenzie: We’re Sharing Information with the Taliban to Prevent Attacks

KUBE General McKenzie it ░░░░░░░░ Courtney Kube from NBC ░░░░░░░░ Can you tell us ░░░░░░░░ little bit more about ░░░░░░░░ extremely real additional threats ░░░░░░░░ ISIS Is it a ░░░░░░░░ about more suicide attacks ░░░░░░░░ also about some of ░░░░░░░░ steps that you may ░░░░░░░░ taking to mitigate future ░░░░░░░░ Would it include putting ░░░░░░░░ S troops or Marines ░░░░░░░░ the gates outside of ░░░░░░░░ airport for additional perimeter ░░░░░░░░ And then finally with ░░░░░░░░ of this is there ░░░░░░░░ discussion about sending any ░░░░░░░░ U S troops to ░░░░░░░░ airport for additional security ░░░░░░░░ MCKENZIE Let me actually ░░░░░░░░ the last part of ░░░░░░░░ question first We assess ░░░░░░░░ have the forces we ░░░░░░░░ to protect ourselves there ░░░░░░░░ m always in a ░░░░░░░░ dialogue with the Secretary ░░░░░░░░ I needed anything else ░░░░░░░░ d be talking to ░░░░░░░░ immediately But I think ░░░░░░░░ have what we need ░░░░░░░░ protect ourselves So let ░░░░░░░░ talk a little bit ░░░░░░░░ the threat streams So ░░░░░░░░ very real threat streams ░░░░░░░░ very what we would ░░░░░░░░ tactical That means imminent ░░░░░░░░ occur at any moment ░░░░░░░░ they range from rocket ░░░░░░░░ we know that they ░░░░░░░░ like to lob a ░░░░░░░░ in there if they ░░░░░░░░ Now we actually have ░░░░░░░░ good protection against that ░░░░░░░░ have our anti rocket ░░░░░░░░ mortar systems the gun ░░░░░░░░ that those of you ░░░░░░░░ ve been out there ░░░░░░░░ very familiar with They ░░░░░░░░ pretty effective against these ░░░░░░░░ of attacks We have ░░░░░░░░ well positioned around the ░░░░░░░░ of the airfield and ░░░░░░░░ feel that we would ░░░░░░░░ in good shape should ░░░░░░░░ kind of attack occur ░░░░░░░░ also know they aimed ░░░░░░░░ suicide vehicle borne suicide ░░░░░░░░ in if they can ░░░░░░░░ a small vehicle to ░░░░░░░░ large vehicle They re ░░░░░░░░ all those options And ░░░░░░░░ we ve just seen ░░░░░░░░ ability to deliver a ░░░░░░░░ in a vest wearing ░░░░░░░░ attacker All of those ░░░░░░░░ we look at Now ░░░░░░░░ other thing we do ░░░░░░░░ we share versions of ░░░░░░░░ information with the Taliban ░░░░░░░░ that they can actually ░░░░░░░░ some searching out there ░░░░░░░░ us and we believe ░░░░░░░░ some attacks had been ░░░░░░░░ by them Again we ░░░░░░░░ been doing this for ░░░░░░░░ long we ve been ░░░░░░░░ this since the 14th ░░░░░░░░ is an attack that ░░░░░░░░ been carried out We ░░░░░░░░ it s possible that ░░░░░░░░ have been thwarted We ░░░░░░░░ down the information we ░░░░░░░░ the Taliban They don ░░░░░░░░ get the full range ░░░░░░░░ information we have but ░░░░░░░░ give them enough to ░░░░░░░░ in time and space ░░░░░░░░ try to prevent these ░░░░░░░░ The other thing we ░░░░░░░░ tried to do is ░░░░░░░░ tried to push out ░░░░░░░░ boundary even further so ░░░░░░░░ we don t get ░░░░░░░░ crowds massing at the ░░░░░░░░ Clearly at Abbey Gate ░░░░░░░░ we had a larger ░░░░░░░░ there than we would ░░░░░░░░ which goes to show ░░░░░░░░ that the system is ░░░░░░░░ perfect But we have ░░░░░░░░ large elements of standoff ░░░░░░░░ other gates and we ░░░░░░░░ to keep that kind ░░░░░░░░ standoff in place As ░░░░░░░░ know standoff for attacks ░░░░░░░░ this is always the ░░░░░░░░ defense Unfortunately we just ░░░░░░░░ t have the opportunity ░░░░░░░░ the geography of the ░░░░░░░░ that we re on ░░░░░░░░ always gain that kind ░░░░░░░░ standoff Let me close ░░░░░░░░ your question by saying ░░░░░░░░ take the threat of ░░░░░░░░ attacks very seriously We ░░░░░░░░ working them very hard ░░░░░░░░ re doing a variety ░░░░░░░░ things As you know ░░░░░░░░ have AH 64 attack ░░░░░░░░ on the ground that ░░░░░░░░ re flying to take ░░░░░░░░ look They have very ░░░░░░░░ thermal and optical imaging ░░░░░░░░ We got aircraft overhead ░░░░░░░░ also have very good ░░░░░░░░ systems We have unmanned ░░░░░░░░ MQ 9s that have ░░░░░░░░ ability to look All ░░░░░░░░ these systems are being ░░░░░░░░ in defense of the ░░░░░░░░ all on a continual ░░░░░░░░ all of them vectored ░░░░░░░░ the intelligence that we ░░░░░░░░ and that we also ░░░░░░░░ the Taliban as a ░░░░░░░░ to protect us as ░░░░░░░░ as possible.”