Quotes of the Day

On July 31 NATO will take control of the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan's volatile south, where six British soldiers were killed in the last month. The NATO commander, Lieut. General David Richards, spoke with TIME's Aryn Baker about his new job.

The fighting in the south is the worst in five years. Are you ready for it?
We knew right from the outset that this was a combat operation. The troop-contributing nations are absolutely trained at the tactical level for what we are about to do. When troops are first confronted by a real enemy, they take time to get into their stride. [But] statistically, when we are confronted by large numbers, the coalition and the alliance have always come out on top. I see no reason why this should change.

Are NATO's member states prepared for casualties?
I haven't had to get involved with that because that is the role of political leaders. But we can't afford to let Afghanistan drift back to what it was before 9/11. I feel a moral obligation to help these people who have suffered enormously over the past 30 years, and who want us to succeed.

How will NATO's approach to security differ from the U.S.'s?
I've got more troops and a lot more nations that want to contribute resources. I will create zones of security [with] a much more rapid delivery of reconstruction development. Those not in the zones will be saying to the so-called Taliban and others, "Look at the roads, the construction, the micro power projects. You get out of our village, so we can get into the zone." Much of the fighting is a result of narco-lords paying either so-called Taliban or others to fight, which is why coordinating our efforts with the poppy-elimination program and alternative livelihoods is absolutely vital.

What about the hunt for Osama bin Laden?
That is not my task. The U.S.-led coalition retains the counterterrorism role. I'm conducting a counterinsurgency campaign, which is conducted differently. [But] clearly, if an Arab terrorist or an al-Qaeda operative fires on a NATO soldier, neither I nor his political leaders expect [the soldier] to say, "hang on, can you just tell me whether you are al-Qaeda or someone else?" before he fires back.

• Aryn Baker
• "We Can't Let Afghanistan Drift Back to Pre-9/11"