Stars and Stripes reports on an Afghan policeman killing an American soldier and the mounting concerns that militants have infiltrated the national force:
JALALABAD, Afghanistan — A U.S. soldier was killed in eastern Afghanistan
Thursday when an Afghan policeman opened fire on an American patrol returning to
its base.The Afghan National Policemen opened fire and threw a hand grenade at the
U.S. patrol as it returned from a meeting with tribal elders in Bermel District,
Paktika Province, near the border with Pakistan. The remaining U.S. troops
killed the policeman, according to the military.SNIP
But Thursday’s
incident was the second time in less than a month that an Afghan officer has
killed a U.S. soldier, raising concerns that militants may have infiltrated the
Afghan police force.
60 Minutes will air a report in which a top general in Afghanistan states that enemy numbers have increased by up to 30% and their activities are becoming more complex:
“I’m telling you that the enemy did increase from 20 to 30 percent this
last year…I’ll tell you that they are doing more complex activities
which concerns me greatly,” says Gen. Schlosser.SNIP
“I’m here to predict this winter will be the most violent winter so
far,” says Gen. Schlosser. “We are doing a winter campaign, Lara, that
just plain gets after the enemy.” But he’ll need help. “I’ve been very
clear that I need more resources, more soldiers and more assets,” he
tells Logan.
AndAP reports al-Qaida will weather the global economic crisis just fine:
CAIRO, Egypt – Al-Qaida, which gets its money from the drug trade inAfghanistan and sympathizers in the oil-rich Gulf states, is likely to escape the effects of the global financial crisis.
One reason is that al-Qaida
and other Islamic terrorists have been forced to avoid using banks,
relying instead on less-efficient ways to move their cash around the
world, analysts said.SNIP
Al-Qaida and the Taliban
have benefited from the drug trade’s growth in Afghanistan after the
U.S.-led invasion in 2001, and the booming business likely will not be
affected by the global slowdown.Opium
cultivation has fallen slightly this year but is still about 20 times
higher than in 2001, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.