US Warns as Violence Grows Across Afghanistan

NATO is once again claiming major progress in the war in Afghanistan, insisting that it has captured or killed “thousands” of militants and has significantly weakened the Taliban. As has so often been the case, this claim doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

That’s because at the same time as these claims are emerging, the US has also announced that it is restricting government personnel to their compounds in southern Afghanistan, citing growing threats and increased violence across the nation.

Violence has been on the rise all spring, with this year’s April the deadliest yet in the decade-long war. NATO has surely killed large numbers of people in the past three months, but it has been killing large numbers of people for years, and violence has risen steadily throughout that time.

Indeed, the US military issuing its own study suggesting that troop morale is at a five year low in Afghanistan, and that troops are suffering from record stress. This again raises the question of whether it is the Taliban of the occupation forces under a greater strain in the seemingly endless conflict.