McChrystal: Tide is turning in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said Taliban forces in Afghanistan are struggling following a U.S. troop surge.

McChrystal said he believes the Taliban's momentum in Afghanistan was impeded by the recent troop surge and U.S. forces are slowly gaining the trust of the Afghan people, ABC reported Monday following an exclusive interview.

"I believe we're doing that now. I believe that we have changed the way we operate in Afghanistan. We changed some of our structures and I believe that we are on the way to convincing the Afghan people that we are here to protect them," McChrystal said.

The infusion of nearly 30,000 additional U.S. troops into Afghanistan is currently under way and despite apparent successes, McChrystal warns the international mission in the war-torn country is not yet over.

"We've been at this for about seven months now and I believe we've made progress. It's not a completed mission yet," the general told "World News" anchor Diane Sawyer.