U.S. commander: Spring to bring new tactics by Taliban
A recent lull in Taliban resistance will not last, says a top commander who adds that come spring, the insurgents will be back on the offensive in Afghanistan, perhaps with assassination teams.
Despite the dismal prediction by the number-two American commander in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez painted a positive picture of American and international war efforts there, but warned the Taliban will be back on the offensive when spring arrives.
Winter in Afghanistan is so brutal, the Taliban tend to hunker down and refit so they can launch offensives in the spring.
Rodriguez expects the Taliban, which was hit hard by an increase in coalition attacks in 2010, to try new tactics this spring in an effort to rollback coalition military gains.
"Yes, assassination hit teams, IEDs (improvised explosive devices, or roadside bombs), indirect things. They will not be as direct in their confrontations as they were last year, I believe," Rodriguez told journalists at a press conference Tuesday.
The general expects Taliban hit teams to target civilian leaders who have taken over in areas that the Taliban used to control before coalition offensive operations.
But it's not just those who oppose the Taliban that are being killed.
"They're killing their own," Rodriguez said. "You've got to understand that, in that insurgency, there's a hierarchy of the most committed to the least committed. And they have been going after the people who were part of their efforts before, but who are on the lower scale, who are trying to turn over and support their government."
The Taliban's tactic of turning on their own comes after coalition success in places like Kabul, the capital.
"There were very few spectacular attacks in 2010. In fact, we went almost seven months without one, which is the longest on record in the last several years," Rodriguez said of Kabul.
The troops, including Afghan National Army forces, are doing a much better job of finding caches of weapons that the Taliban relied on, Rodriguez observed. In In the last 12 weeks, troops found and destroyed 1,250 caches, in the same period a year ago they found only 163 caches.
Those gains have come at a cost, as 2010 was the deadliest year of the war so far for U.S. troops. Nearly 500 troops were killed; another 25 troops were killed in January of this year.
As for the July 2011 deadline to start withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan, Rodriguez hinted that Herat, in the west, might be one place to start. Herat, he said is "largely free from violent incidents and ready to transition to Afghan lead very soon."
Rodriguez also addressed the issue of militants hiding in Pakistani safe haven. He said that it would help if Pakistan could go after those insurgents in North Waziristan, but even if that doesn't happen, it doesn't mean "mission failure" of the U.S. effort in Afghanistan.
In spite of what he sees as many successes against the insurgents, Rodriguez said "the Taliban's not on the ropes yet."
You are not true salerno
Its very hindu(rare) that you(hindu) speak good about hindus(muslims) since you are a hindu(criminal) you should be in hindu(jail) you are very hindu(sick) 360 degrees
Salerno you seem to be a nice person but you talk with the wrong people avoid these animals
Idiot all People are Animals!!! But not everyone is stupid like You...
You think you people are educated how can a person like dan say that our Prophet is false. He is crazy insulting our religion and think that we are inferior people, well done dan from crapland
I'm sorry yusef but the last prophet was Zechariah and Mohammad was not from a religious family but a pagan family and only became involved in religion after reading the Holy Bible and then trying to tell the warring masses that he was the spirit of truth that Isaiah had a prophecy about the coming of the Messiah Jesus! You too aught respect my belief! I would not get so nasty at you Muslims if you did not KILL and strap on EXPLOSIVES KILLING innocent lives! WHATEVER DID WE DO TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dan – You are still asking what you have done after all my esplanation ? 9/11 came to you for the reason I esplained many times.
esplain agin
Who are you saying the Prophet is??? Because there is only One GOD that that is the GOD of the Jewish People!!!
LARRY ..One god yes!! some people thing when they tell dirty words that others will obey to believe crap.
I think is very sad that we are loosing so many soldiers and spending so much money and have not a clue to when this will stop. I think we are not going to see the end os this in a long time.
The more you loose soldiers the better.
The more You talk the Bigger Idiot We know You are!!!
Maybe You rather have the War in the United States???
Larry – a war in the UN is impossible. This is the biggest stupidity just one like you can say. (it is even a replication of other people quoting) What US policy is causing is some terrorist attacks.
Kate..you are correct ..I agree. A war without rules even.
Sadly enough kate,you're quite right.
Dan its your fault remember you betrayed our brother Osama and you still have not seen anythng the next thing he does you will be surprised angry pist but you deserve it betrayal is never paid
If I had The opportunity to get a hold of bin Laden I would hold him down and let my wife beat him to hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I help You hold Him down!!!
Why don't You do what Hitler did and make this a better World???
Oye salerno no te metas con israel pedazo de maricon
Dindy no one was talking to you ashol better keep your trap shut motherfkr
saddam ..wash your bad mouth ..you are no good for anything
Oh let us not forget Iraq, Iran and Lebanon too!
saddam..when you call others stupid , it shows you were stupid once to know the nature of another in same kind.
Oh...my God..How come people become so low.......Are these comments or Just words showing hate and bitterness towards people??
BUT ACCORDING TO YOUR LAWS YOU WOULD HAVE THEIR TONGUES CUT OUT! THAT IS NOT THE WAY OF JESUS!
SORRY LANGUAGE.
iT IS THEIR NATIVE LANGAUGE.
WHAT IT IS IS WHAT IT IS. SOME PEOPLE ARE SINNERS AND DISOBEY GOD BUT SPEAK THE TRUTH!!!
along with any other Arab country
We finally agree with something!!! It is time for the People to run the Countries not the Rich!!! We can do a better job...
Salerno you are a mad man, if the Egyptians should become an enemy of the Israel state and supply weapons to Hamas WWWIII would most likely come, but I would highly doubt that the Egyptian army along would fight against the United States!
Israel should respect the international community and respect the 1967 borders along wiyh east Jerusalem. Israel is illegal.
If I were you salerno I would not upset God in these times!
AS GOD HAD SAID YOU SHALL KNOW!!!
Why should They They have to protect Their Boarders from Their Enemies!!!
It is you Muslims and Islamists that are making all the trouble(IGNORANT)! If you all would just stop your planting bombs on roadsides,in cars and on people and even animals and join in on the younger generation of the Muslim world that wants freedom and democracy to choose their destiny instead of being forced into poverty because that is all your religious fanatical cult can offer them or an autocratic ruler who cares more for power like yourself than the welfare of the people then there might be some stability in the Muslim world!
Are You saying Israel has know right to protect Their Country from Their Enemies??? That is what the land is for...
We are not worried about WWIII... We are worried that Our Enemies might get control of the Oil and Atomic Bombs!!!
The United States has to quit giving Money to the Government of Egypt until the President does what the People want!!!
Larry – you are funny. USA gave money to Mubarak for 30 years to do the opposite of what the people want, just to protect US interests in Egypt, and there are 3 lobbiests payng the US government for that.
In the 30ty Years the Republicans are the most Control over the Country!!! So what more can You expect from Us???
Dan...from Chicago..........brother it is difficult to do what Jesus did 🙂 when forgive people try to take ride on us sometimes. Here it is like that. Since I became Christian and stop associating with gentiles unless it is to tell the good news I was attacked. I did forgive through the divinity of God. It was not me actually . Because I cant be that good unless god was with me. So there are times we have to defend too when one never learn something once we forgive again and again. Jesus way is truly difficult. Former President George Bush has said it too. Actually God must be lonely for all of us now because no of us cant be like JESUS.
Yes we can Dindy, Jesus never forgave those who did not come to Him for forgiveness, we do not just forgive without the perpetrator coming to us to be forgiven and as you know even the people thought if they touched Jesus they would be forgiven, they always followed Him, but not those who did not believe. Jesus did say though that we should make amends with our adversary's, but if they too are not willing to make that step forward there is not much we can do. WE should always forgive those who are remorseful and ask for forgiveness, BUT NOT UNTIL THEN BECAUSE JESUS WONT ALSO!
You are one sick Person!!! I wouldn't think it great for any Person to die that way... After all We are all GODS Children!!!
YYYY: When are You going to learn not to yell??? Turn off You Caps Lock!!!
And I thought the nutter comments on Yahoo were entertaining. This is TREMENDOUS!
We are with our savior and guide Osama he is the one chosen to aniquilate the infidels
I don't think Osama could rappresent Islam. He gave a lesson to the USA, a revenge for the crimes they committed against the people, but Islam cannot be rappresented by the wohabi ideology.
All you Islamic extremists are insane, for God said vengeance is mine and for what you have done the mountains will crumble on yourselves!
FOR JUSTICE!
What do you think ? We will let some religious fanatic blow up our buildings and kill 3000 people and not want him to pay for his crimes?
Or because were Christians we should turn the other cheek so he could do it again?
Dan – No it is not justice as you did not capture the Alqaeda leaders but killed more than 1 million innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan, so you acted worst than Bin Laden, as he at least hit some military target like the Cole and the Pentagon.
Even Hitler had some excusation to invade the Polland and the URSS.
Salerno you ARE a nutcase, if you think that we have killed a million people! But I will tell you that the Muslim world in history most probably has!
And let me tell you salerno those attacks on the USS Cole and the Pentagon along with the World Trade Center are acts of war and anyone who contributed in those attacks either by plotting them , funding them or harboring those who did these things are subject to attack by US forces and their allies!!! So until the Taliban surrenders and al Qaeda is no longer a threat and we kill or capture Osama bin Laden and al Zawahiri and the terrorist threats stop this war on terror will not end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh and dummy please tell me what is URSS?
Bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders are about to die of old age as yout war is ridiculouse. You had not the courage to follow Bin Laden when he escaped from Tota Bora becouse you are stupid and cowards.
They are not act of war becouse war by definition is betwen 2 states or nation. Bin Laden is an individual, so you have to find him. If he is hiding in one nation you can make a war against that nation without finding him. It is what happened in Afghanistan.
Bin Laden is too smart for you.
We knew he was there. the Taliban knew he was there . There were training videos from there where you can see him frightened by rocket fire above his head by his own armed force of which he declared war upon us IDIOT!
AND IO WILL TELL YOU NO ONE IS TOO SMART FOR GOD!
Dan – you stupid, we have video of criminals in Sicily, but this does n0t mean that Sicily people know where is the location or have the possibility to capture him.
I agree Al Fatah. Allahu Akbar. Salam
Now listen to our words american infidels, soon you will be witness of a disaster that our bleloved brother Osama Bin Laden has prepared for you, you burned our Koran in Irak and tortured our people, now our time has arrived, you americans will suffer for a long time like we do. Our prophet said: Beware one will arise and dominate, time over time and again, that is our King Bin Laden, he will take care of you people. Allah Akbar
LOL u will soon realize how feeble and hollow ur words are as u watch fire rain down from the sky upon u. ur light will be turned to darkness and allah will never be able to bring it back
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Who cares?
You do not know me salerno or how great my faith is and if it is God's will I will crumble a mountain on your butt!
Dan – I see your pseudo-faith under you comments. Yacobi would say:"Hind (stink) of your cow mamas dung is very visible from your post".
Yes and Jesus WILL SAY GO AWAY I DO NOT KNOW YOU!
JESUS SAID ANY BODY WHO DOES GOD"S WILL IS HIS MOTHER ,FARTHER,SISTER OR BROTHER. BEFORE DYING HE TOLD JAMES TO LOOK AFTER MARY AND TOLD MARY TO TAKE JAMES AS HER SON. JESUS WAS COMPASSIONATE AND CARING. JESUS LISTENED TO MARY IN THE WEDDING OF CANAAN AND HELPED TO MAKE WATER INTO WINE BECAUSE HE LOVED HIS MOTHER SO LISTENED TO HER. JESUS IS LOVE AND TODAY ALL OF US ARE FAR AWAY FROM JESUS UNFORTUNATELY.
IT IS TRUE THERE ARE TIMES WE HAVE TO DEFEND OUR SELVES ....."SADLY"
In Mathew chapter 23 Jesus talk about Abel and Zechariah . In Mathew chapter 24 JESUS explains clearly what is going to happen at the end of world and it is happening now. PLEASE ALL OF YOU MUST READ.
Dindy – yes, Mattew 24 appears to be predicting the false prophets and the false Christs (USA-NATO) persecuting the true christians (muslims). Many people and populeation against the true believers. People pretending to be christians killing the true christians (muslims). No Muslim neither Mohammed claimed to be Jesus, so they are not the false Jesus or the false prophetS quoted bu Matthew.
and prajnaimmovable taliman???? and your sounding like a anarchist right now.
Dan: GOD has always been on the side of the Jews!!! If You ever study the Bible You would know that... So Why Would GOD now Turn on the People they worship GOD???
Larry – God on the side of Jewish ? Even when they had to suffer the holocaust ? Better to have your god against.
I never said that! And I do not think God prefers one race over another, rather I know God does not prefer one race over another
Larry ....God is lonely for all of his children now.
dan its not likley. thier extremnists and they want all power over Afghanistan, they will stop at nothing. Im glad because everyday I get to capture or kill a Taliban.I may sound ignorant but I want it to stop as much as anyone else, but its not going to stop unless we do something.
We are and we will defeat these anti-Christ!
Those who kill others in the name of their God without self defense will burn in hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dan – becouse you are a simulator, like a munafiq, even without being aware of it.
If You believe that You must be crazy!!!
Dan – Islam consider Jesus son of Mary born with the direct intervention of the God's spirit. The only difference with the christianity is that they do not consider him son of God and Mary mother of God. Jesus did not say he was the last prophet and in the Revelation of S. John other prophets were annunced.
No Jesus said Zechariah was the last prophet and that He was the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world and that Mary was NOT his mother, but the mother of James as He hung on the cross!!!!!
Dan – you are totally ignorant about your religion. May be becouse you are unable to read the gospel in their original language and you know only yhe english version, but even so your ignorance is amazing. Where did Jesus told about next prophet Zacharia ? He was the son of Mary as he called her mother all the time. He cconsigned her to John before dying. This is a secret you have to discover by uorself, as I will not reveil the hidden sense.
You know nothing of the bible so do not pretend that you know some ancient version! I and God can tell how much of a liar you are or just how stupid you are! Zechariah was not the next prophet but the last prophet and James who was born from Joseph through Mary after the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ which whom was born as the Holy Spirit foretold by Gabriel through the virgin Mary so Joseph would marry her beforehand! This was so that the townspeople would not have unrighteous thoughts about Mary!
salerno, in Mathew 23:34-35 He does not come out plainly and say that he was the last prophet(but in the old testament he is a prophet)but He does say you kill and crucify(and let it be known He is talking about the scribes and Pharisees not the Romans)the wise men, the prophets and scribes that He sends them from Abel to Zechariah, meaning Zechariah was the last prophet! He never talked about more to come only that of the comforter after His death and ascension to heaven which IS HIS HOLY SPIRIT WHICH RESIDES IN ALL CHRISTIANS!!!!!
I am sorry all you true Christians, I should have put in resurrection in between death and ascension.
May peace be upon every nation and may God help us to walk out from darkness through his divinity !!! Amen.
Dan – you confirmed my point, as Jesus did not say he was the last envoy or prophet, and Zaccaria was not a prophet of the future, but of the past. The Revelation of S.John talk about a new profecy and a new littl book.
faceman00 ..I am so worried as twenty troops have given life within January 2011 according to US commander. To keep war out from USA how many and how long it will take....This problem need some other solution and more discussions among superiors and citizens in USA and PAKISTAN and Afghanistan. This is going on for along time.
Oh and faceman00 I am very sorry not to acknowledge your sacrifice and thank you for all you do, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND MAY GOD BRING YOU HOME SAFELY!
1. This is 9th year of occupation, and for 50/100 Al-Qaida activists( revealed by Leon Paneta CIA chief) in Afghanistan USA has killed hundreds of their own soldiers, in thousands, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, destroying whole social infrastructure, paving way for further anarchy and civil wars. No doubt this spring may prove more deadly as being predicted by the commander on the front. Billions of dollars which could have been spent on the welfare of Americans or other poor nations but contrary to this its use in deaths and destruction in Afghanistan/Pakistan, has faced whole world with another world war. All this in this new millennium, in this internet age, by a super power and self proclaimed, most advanced, most civilized nation, just simply adding to the disappointment of every peace loving.
Yea I wish the Taliban and it's terrorists allies were peace loving people!
Dan – Also you american people are often killing each other like in the Tucson shooting.
Yes salerno there are sick people all over the world, but here in America most of us stand for each other, but their are some crazy militias too that would like to take power from the government but they usually do not go out and kill innocent people and definitely do not strap explosives on themselves and kill others and believe that God will reward them!
The Egyptian People were alright until the Thugs of the President came in and started the problems there!!!
If it makes you happy salerno it only shows how evil you are!!!!!!
Ha Ha Ha ! you make me laugh all the time !
You'll be gnashing your teeth while burning in hell!
One should not add hey to burning fire. if.. rest of the world wanted justice ....and if it was the reason to attack USA ..now US also can tell it is their turn. If the attacker and his supporters are over joyed about what they did and no remorse (as they believe US deserve it) then ...US /will think the same thing .
Some have crowned Bin like a king here. This is not a chess game which the wooden figures get pushed over and children or adult feel happy. Here it is thousands of human lives we have lost no matter where ever it is.
It is a shame to humanity. The sad part is people who say that they know God ..is over joyed about others death. God is lonely for GOD'S children . This attack like 9/11 was human choice
God does not want Bin"s help to destroy anyone if God want to do something like that. That inhuman act was his choice. God can destroy people from floods, wind or earth quakes ,Tsunami etc.
Dindy – What you say can be said to US too. Why they do not let God make justice ? Why are they killing innocent ? They did so even before 9/11. Hiroshima, serbian TV , Dresda, Lebanon, Afghanistan Iraq....
Dan from Detroi,MI.... Days are numbered if only he is alive.
Dindy, he is phony boy.
I do believe that the shelling of the 21 militants in Pakistan has hit bin Laden, but they fear a backlash and do not tell. In any case his days are numbered as is the Taliban and their extremist movement where strict sharia law is against the human rights of the people! One shall only be forgiven through the faith in the Lord and Savior of the world Jesus Christ if he truly is sorry and asks for forgiveness, not through any Islamic laws nor eye for eye or tooth for tooth!! JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY!!!!!!
I'm glad You think so but Most of Us Doesn't Agree With You!!!
This is not going to be easy. How many more one can kill? 🙁 Taliban are also citizens. They may be every where. Hope there is a different solution for this problem .IF the Taliban ruling is bad for Afghan civilians their own government solve that problem . US has the problem with Alqada and are these Taliban still helping Osama ? why no body knows at least which country he is exactly in ? Very strange. If he is in Pakistan... ,why a huge force like Pakistan Army and police cant find him.? Nine years is a long time......and why someone can be so sure that they can pull the troops back in 2014 ? A government must be responsible for what their citizens do in other countries and in their own. They have neglect their responsibility in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Today it was on TV here. Pakistan citizens were badly injured again from a car bomb. We saw it before editing it seems ;(
DINDY THIS YOU WILL KNOW LATER WHEN SOME WIKY LEAKS OR SOME CIA/ NSA OFFICIALS LIKE GREAT JOHN PERKINS( http://www.johnperkins.org) WILL PROUDLY DISCLOSE, HOW GREAT GAME / NEW WORLD ORDER HAD BEEN CREATED/CARRIED ON DEATH GAMES AND HOW OSAMA HELPED BUSH, GIVING HIM JUSTIFICATION TO INVADE AFGHANISTAN. DURING LAST 10 YEARS BOTH OSAMA AND OBAMA ARE SAFE, HOWEVER WE AFGHANS AND PAKISTANI ARE BEING MERCILESSLY KILLED IN OUR HOMES AND TOWNS. DINDY THIS IS HUMAN TRAGEDY AND VERY EVIL GAME WHICH HAS DESTROYED THIS REGION AND HAS PUT WORLD PEACE AT RISK. MAIN FUEL FOR THIS FIRE ARE AMERICAN DOLLARS AND WEAPONS. SO LONG THIS CONTINUE, YOU ALL WILL SEE SUCH TRAGIC NEWS FROM THIS PART OF THE WORLD.
CNN – who is monitoring your Rules of Conduct? Whay have them if nobody enforces them!!
" You agree not to upload, post or otherwise transmit any User Content that is offensive to the online community, including blatant expressions of bigotry, racism, abusiveness, vulgarity or profanity."
If some of those posts aren't offensive or racist, well....
As long as it stops the killing I'm for it!!! We need PEACE in that part of the Countries...
Larrykegel(USARMY).....good posts sir.
This is not good. I'm getting worried,aren't you?
Gary or should we call you Mohamid. You should be worried we are in Afghanistan waiting for you to quit hiding in Pakistan so we can send you to paradise. Guess what – the Afghan people don't want the Pashtun Taliban hegemonic tyrrany. Come back and be a martyr.
Will you just cut the right-wing bla-bla-bla? It gets awfully old and how!!!
No, hopefully it'll bring more of them to the forefront and we can kill or capture more of them.
Are you really that mean-spirited or are you kidding? We need to end this obscene carnage as soon as possible. Afghanistan belongs to the Afghans,so we need to get out of there!
Mean spirited? Please tell me if the terrorist were not so that I would want to do such a thing?
And we're allowing the Afghan people to choose their own destiny and not have to be ruled by religious fanatic people who terrorize their people to gain power over them!!!!!!
I have Jesus and no use for 360 cult!
Hey, Dan from D, THE best way to end a war is to WIN IT! To so badly damage and destroy the enemy that they can't and won't try to fight any more. But with this current wimp in the White House, you don't have to worry about us winning any conflict, as he said, "I'm not comfortable with the idea of victory in this war." Plus, the fool already set a timetable to leave, so the enemy knows they just have to wait. That's what a bozo demlib always has done, and this fool is more useless than most.
So afghanistan shoudl be left for the Saudi Taliban?