PlusViolence Up Sharply As Afghan War Nears 7th YearViolence Up Sharply As Afghan War Nears 7th YearThe Associated PressWhile Iraq enjoys a lower level of violence, attacks in Afghanistan have spiked. The AP's Sagar Meghani reports from the Pentagon. (July 14)(FILE Iraq) as violence in Iraq has dropped sharply (NAT UP soldiers firing in Afghanistan) it has shot up in Afghanistan, seven years into the war SOT: Michael O'Hanlon, Brookings Institution 13:59:08 dc ohanlon afghan intv "We have a serious problem. Our strategy, you'd have to begin to conclude, is not working." (GRAPHIC Pentagon report) A Pentagon report to Congress late last month signaled more trouble ahead (GRAPHIC page flipping) saying the Taliban had regrouped into a "resilient insurgency" (NEXT PAGE) and forecast more attacks to come (NAT UP whatever else) for the first time, more international troops were killed in Afghanistan each of the past two months than in Iraq. SOT: Mark Laity, NATO spokesman (dateline Kabul) AFG LAITY INTV 08:55:31 "If you said to me, does this mean we're losing the war or things are going badly, I'd answer by saying, if last month there had been no ISAF soldiers lost, I'd be very happy, but I would not say it meant we won." (LOCATOR MAP FROM 7/13 piece) an attack on a military outpost in the volatile east that killed 9 US forces has sharpened the focus on Afghanistan, and what officials say are more complex, intense and better coordinated attacks (Pakistan?) Afghanistan's beleaguered government is also accusing Pakistan's intelligence service and army of not only failing to stop insurgents from crossing in and out of Afghanistan..but f being behind the insurgency itself SOT: Mark Laity, NATO spokesman "What we have seen over the past couple of months...Pakistani Army hasn't been as active as before." SOT: Michael O'Hanlon, Brookings Institution 14:01:52 dc ohanlon afghan intv "The fact that the Taliban and AQ have sanctuary in Pakistan is probably reason why we should continue to be worried and why we shouldn't be too surprised about this turn of vents." (any more good file of shooting) and as the violence in Afghanistan has risen, it's brought up comparisons with Iraq from months ago (any good file of soldiers on patrol in iraq) an Iraq now enjoying its lowest levels of violence in years. (more file) but knowing those big attacks could return SOT: Major General Kevin Bergner, US military spokesman (dateline Baghdad) IRQ BERGNER INTV 0930 09 "It is a very dynamic environment, so it is difficult to look very far into the future with any degree of certainty." STANDUP: One thing Afghanistan's had which Iran's hasn't is broader public support, as the battle that, at least in the US, has been in the shadows. But as the casualties and attention grow, some analysts wonder if that sentiment will shift...and put BOTH wars on equally bad public footing. Sagar Meghani, The Associated Press, the Pentagon
Tags: iraq afghan_deaths violence up sharply afghan war nears 7th
