Aghanistan

'Taliban likely to be long-term threat in Afghanistan'

Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan: The United States accepts that a diminished but resilient Taliban is likely to remain a military threat in some parts of Afghanistan long after US troops complete their combat mission in 2014, the top US military officer said Sunday. In an Associated Press interview at Bagram Air Field, north of Kabul, Army Gen Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he is cautiously optimistic that the Afghan army will hold its own against the insurgency as Western troops pull back and Afghans assume the lead combat role.

He said that by May or June, the Afghans will be in the lead throughout the country. Asked whether some parts of the country will remain contested by the Taliban, he replied, "Yes, of course there will be."

"And if we were having this conversation 10 years from now, I suspect there would (still) be contested areas because the history of Afghanistan suggests that there will always be contested areas," he said. He and other US commanders have said that ultimately the Afghans must reach some sort of political accommodation with the insurgents, and that a reconciliation process needs to be led by Afghans, not Americans.

Thus the No 1 priority for the US military in its final months of combat in Afghanistan is to do all that is possible to boost the strength and confidence of Afghan forces. Shortly after Dempsey arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday, the Taliban demonstrated its ability to 

Bomb kills Afghan family including hours-old baby

Kabul: A roadside bomb killed a family of six, including a baby born just hours before, in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, local officials said. The family was leaving a maternity hospital in Khost province in a pick-up truck when the bomb exploded, said a statement from the office of the provincial governor. "A pregnant woman was taken by her family to a hospital last night at 10 p.m, and they...  

Clarke confident Aus will get back to top

Clarke was confident that Australia can regain the top spot if they play well after slipping to fourth in the ODI rankings. ...  

Training ground Kashmir for Afghan troops

Perth: If Australia could seal the series in the Perth Test, Ben Hilfenhaus should be rested for the fourth and final Test in Adelaide, said Allister de Winter, who helped the fast bowler fine-tune his bowling action. De Winter, who was in contention for becoming Australia's bowling coach said there was no need to play Hilfenhaus at Adelaide since that wicket would not suit his bowling style. He needs to...