US Afghan war review is propaganda: Taliban

The Taliban on Friday rejected the review of President Barack Obama’s year-old war strategy in Afghanistan, saying that it has failed on both the military and the civil administration fronts.

In an e-mailed statement, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the last nine years of war had proven that increased troop levels had no effect. “It is a failed strategy, not only on the military side but also in civilian and administrative affairs. Public services in Afghanistan have failed. Corruption, insecurity and also the civilian casualties are a result of failed American strategy,” Mujahid said. “President Obama is also talking about progress, but it is clear for everyone that the reality is completely the opposite of what he says,” he added.
The Taliban claimed that Obama’s aim of starting to withdraw U.S. soldiers from Afghanistan next year is the result not of success, but of “the pressure on the U.S. forces in Afghanistan, the high casualties of the U.S. forces and the high cost of the war … which they can no longer afford.”
Mujahid vowed the Taliban would continue to fight coalition troops, and that “with the presence of foreign forces in our country there will be no peace and security. The interference of foreign forces in the affairs of Afghanistan … will only increase casualties.”

Two US-led troops killed in Afghan war

Two separate attacks have killed at least two US-led foreign soldiers in Afghanistan, bringing the death toll of troops in the country closer to 700.
NATO said in a statement on Friday that one of its soldiers died following a militant attack in the country’s volatile east.
The US-led military alliance added that another NATO soldier had lost his life in a bomb attack in the troubled southern region.
The nationalities of the soldiers and the exact location of the attacks are not known.
The deaths bring to at least 696 the number of foreign troops killed in Afghanistan in 2010.
This comes one day after the United States declared “progress” in its war in Afghanistan despite the fact that the US-led troops had the highest fatality rate in the war-ravaged country in 2010.
Releasing the war strategy review in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama claimed on Thursday that Washington was “on track” in achieving its goals in the war-ravaged country. Obama made the comments while releasing the war strategy review in Afghanistan.
However, he acknowledged that Washington’s mission in Afghanistan remains difficult.
“This continues to be a very difficult endeavor,” Obama said.
The rising number of NATO casualties has increased opposition to the war in the countries contributing troops to Afghanistan– including the US and Britain.
Despite the presence of some 150,000 foreign forces, militant attacks have climbed in Afghanistan.
However, the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that more fatalities are expected in 2011.
Civilians have been the main victims of violence in Afghanistan, particularly in the country’s troubled southern and eastern provinces.

Source: Agencies