Afghan Conflict Likely to See More Taliban Terror Killings
CANBERRA, Australia, Feb. 24, 2008 – The Taliban in Afghanistan will resort to more terror killings because they have been unsuccessful against NATO and U.S. troops in direct combat, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
“What we are likely to see is more use of terror -- killings of school teachers, local officials, things like that, the use of (improvised explosive devices) to t
More..ry to sap the will of coalition partners as well as the Afghans and to bring discredit to the Afghan government because of its seemly inability to bring security to the rural areas,” Gates said at a roundtable discussion with U.S. and Australian reporters.
This has led to a change in the nature of the conflict in that region, he said. Gates said the Taliban is resorting to more insurgency-type tactics. “The Taliban has seen over the last year and a half or so that they cannot defeat the NATO or our forces in regular kinds of conflict where they bring scores or hundreds of people to battle. They lose all the time when they do that,” Gates said.
Gates lauded military successes in the region over the past few years, but said that gains could be compromised if troop strength isn’t sufficient to hold the gains. The Taliban occupy no territory in Afghanistan at this point nor have they won any military engagements.
“The problem is that, while we were able to clear the Taliban in certain areas when we had an operation, we don’t have enough force to be able hold some of those areas. It’s the same kind of problem we encountered in Iraq,” Gates said. “The way to deal with this long term clearly is (developing) the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police. So it has to be a partnership between ourselves and the Afghans, with more and more of the effort gradually shifting to the Afghans.”
Gates said troops on the ground there will continue to adjust their tactics, as well as continue training the Afghan National Army and Police. He also emphasized better coordination of economic development and reconstruction in the region, as well as helping develop local governance. Where local governance is strong, development is more successful, Gates said.
The secretary also told reporters that the return of the Taliban to the region could have devastating effects on Europe. “A return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan poses a direct threat to Europeans. I think the European governments understand this. I think we all just need to do a better job of helping the broader public understand that,” Gates said.
In a speech in Munich earlier this month, Gates drew a connection between terrorist attacks over the past few years in Europe, as well as those that were thwarted, and al Qaeda training in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area, its supply of money, and expertise.
“These attacks are coming out of that region and are focused very much on European targets,” Gates said.
He said the United States and NATO have no inclinations of leaving Afghanistan and allowing the return of the Taliban, and added that allies need to reexamine their commitments to the region. “I think that the efforts to call attention to the need to meet the needs of the NATO commander as pledged … by the NATO heads of government … will have some effect,” Gates said.
Some countries are considering increasing their commitments. Some are extending their commitments, and others still are examining how to help in noncombat-related ways.
“It requires staying power on our part. It requires continued success in training the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police,” Gates said. “I think the only way that the Taliban might return to power is, frankly, if everyone just turned their backs on Afghanistan and walked out. I don’t think anybody’s going to do that.”
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Added: Feb 25 2008 In: middle_east
By: Human_Racist 
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Comments - sort by newest to oldest
you mean muslims might kill more people???
No news here
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "JihadKiller1s1k" (R)
Thats what they are good at.. killing there own people!
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "Human_Racist" (R)
Thats what they best kann kiling,kiling,kiling and not rebild own country or help to rebild.
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "amor-amor" (R)
endless war
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "lasrever" Premium
Agree.
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "amor-amor" (R)
Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor, Kosovo... Success after success. Human rights fundamentalists and Freedom march on!
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "Slowekistan" (R)
Bring it on cavemen...bring it on! We convinced the silly little buggers that we are afraid of them. We use that as the justification to slaughter the terrorists on mass...Brilliant move! It is funny that a bunch of cavemen actually believe they will win this thing...shows how evolved they are...bwaaa ha ha!
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "pooroliver" (R)
What the point is thei kill of the name of Alah.
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "amor-amor" (R)
they'll survive because they can blend in with the population
it's another quagmire like Vietnam was
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "lasrever" Premium
"The Taliban occupy no territory in Afghanistan at this point nor have they won any military engagements."
Whoever wrote this was apparently on drugs. Perhaps manufactured in Afghanistan 2001-2002 onward.
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "Oleole" (R)
thats how you keep a country ignorant...by killing the teachers, burning the schools and books. that way no one will challenge the ideas being forced into their heads by islamofascists. hitler did something similar to that, look what happened to his people. the taleban and al qaeda don't want the common people to know what is happening outside of their world. its sad really. but so is the whole war on terrorism deal. im afraid it will be around for our grandchildren. atleast it is being confronted and not ignored.
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "thelastmexican" (R)
Translation: The muslim extremist's can't defeat the West in battle so instead they will kill innocent women and children and e-insurgents here will support them.
As to quagmire, the stupidity of the people here never ceases to amaze me.
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "WE ARE POWER" (R)
do you really think they just figured this out?
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "hatredforhumans" (R)
As to quagmire, the stupidity of the people here never ceases to amaze me.
the stupidity of those who believe everything George Bush says never ceases to amaze me
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "lasrever" Premium
You act like sunni's don't call shiites heretics and you act like shiites are perfectly fine with sunni's saying this and that shiites have no animosity towards sunnis for the dead of imam hussein and you pretend like there are no groups of muslims that are actively working to kill people other religions.
Posted Feb-25-2008 by "txzen" (R)