McNeill blames Pakistan for sheltering insurgency

Fayetteville Observer ^ | 5/31/08 | Jason Straziuso

[Dawnsblood]

The outgoing American commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan said the insurgency there will last for years unless Pakistan shuts down safe havens where militants train and recruit.

Gen. Dan McNeill also blamed new peace agreements in Pakistan’s tribal areas for a spike in violence in eastern Afghanistan, where U.S. forces operate along the volatile border.

“If there are going to be sanctuaries where these terrorists, these extremists, these insurgents can train, can recruit, can regenerate, there’s still going to be a challenge there,” McNeill said Wednesday.

Taliban militants attacked and captured a remote town from the Afghan government overnight, taking captive the district’s government leader and eight police, militants and officials said Friday.

Afghan troops were heading to the district of Rashidan in Ghazni province, but as of midday Friday, it was still under Taliban control, said Kazim Allayer, the deputy governor of Ghazni province.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said militants attacked Rashidan on Thursday night and captured eight police and the local government leader, whom he identified as Ghulam Shah.

Taliban militants have in the past briefly overrun remote district centers before Afghan or NATO forces pushed them out. But insurgents also control several areas in southern Afghanistan, particularly in Helmand province.

NATO has said there was a 50 percent spike in violence in eastern Afghanistan in April when compared with 2007.

[Wuli]

Question of the day: Will Pakistan become the new Afghanistan, in spite of it’s recent elections????