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Taliban Say They have Infiltrated Afghan Forces as Police Attack Kills 2 US Soldiers |
17 August 2012The Taliban’s reclusive leader said yesterday that his fighters have infiltrated the Afghan police and army and were successfully killing a rising number of U.S.-led coalition forces.
Mullah Mohammad Omar, the one-eyed chief of the Afghan insurgency, emailed his eight-page message to news organizations ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Omar said Afghan security forces were assisting Taliban fighters who infiltrate their ranks, kill foreign troops and then carry their government-issued weapons back to insurgent camps.
"They are able to [safely] enter bases, offices and intelligence centers of the enemy," he said. "Then, they easily carry out decisive and coordinated attacks, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy."
Attacks where Afghan soldiers or policemen, or militants wearing Afghan uniforms kill their foreign partners is on the rise, but the coalition claims only 10 percent of the attacks can be linked to infiltrators.
So far this year, 34 foreign troops have been killed in 27 attacks, according to The Associated Press. Last year, 20 international soldiers were killed in 11 such attacks.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Thursday that such attacks were deeply concerning. He said the U.S.-led coalition was continually assessing and refining procedures to ensure the safety of NATO troops.
"It is important to remember first of all that our relationship with our Afghan partners is strong and t
that every day our forces fight alongside Afghan forces," Carney said, adding that international forces partner with about 350,000 Afghan forces on 90 percent of operations.
The Taliban leader urged Afghan government workers to also switch sides and join the Taliban.
Another Afghan police attack kills 2 US troops
A NATO official says another Afghan policeman has turned his weapon on American allies in Afghanistan, killing two U.S. service members.
Today’s killing in the country’s west is the sixth similar incident in two weeks.
Jamie Graybeal, a spokesman for the international coalition force, says the shooting happened in the far western province of Farah. He says the attacker was a member of the Afghan Local Police, a village defense force that is being trained by international forces, including U.S. special forces.
Graybeal says two American service members died before the Afghan attacker was shot and killed.
Attacks by Afghan allies on international troops have accelerated this year, killing at least 36 foreign troops and raising questions about the strategy to train Afghans to take over security in 2014.
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17 August 2012
Hurriyet Daily News
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