Afghanistan in danger of falling back to Taliban

The Taliban currently has permanent presence in 54% of Afghanistan and the country is in grave danger of falling back into the hands of the Taliban, according to a report by independent analyst which has considerable experience in Afghanistan.

Despite tens of thousands of troops of NATO-led and billions of dollars of aid poured into the country, Taliban that was driven out by the American invasion in 2001, now has control over vast swathes of the territory virtually unchallenged, including some of the rural areas, some district centers, and substantial arteries roads "the Senlis Council says in a report published yesterday.

Based on what she calls exclusive research, it warned that the insurgency is also exercising a "significant amount of psychological control, gaining more and more political legitimacy in the minds of the Afghan people , which have a long history of the evolution of alliances and regime change. "

It is claimed that the territory now controlled by the Taliban has increased and the front line has moves closer to Kabul-a warning echoed by the United Nations, which says an increasing number of countries is becoming a "no go" zone for the'Western aid and development workers.

The board went so far as to say: "It is a sad indictment of the current state of Afghanistan that the issue now appears to be not that the Taliban will return to Kabul, but when ... and in what form. Often The stated aim of reaching the city in 2008 seems more viable than ever, and it is incumbent upon the international community to implement a new strategic paradigm before time. "

Its 110-page report coincided with a stern warning as Oxfam. In a report to the House of Commons International Development Committee of humanitarian aid organizations and warned that the security situation in Afghanistan deteriorates significantly with the country's problems exacerbated by corruption in the central and local governments.

Senior British and American military commanders private accept public despite their emphasis on short-term success against Taliban fighters.

The insurgency is divided into abject poverty oriented "base" and a concentrated group of "hard-core Islamic militants," says the Senlis Council, which has an office in Kabul and the field researchers in the provinces of Helmand and Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.

She said that the NATO international security force of about 40000 soldiers should be at least doubled and include forces from Muslim countries, as well as NATO states which have refused to send troops into the country.

There is no sign of movement within NATO to send reinforcements to Afghanistan.

While Western governments, as the Senlis Council and Oxfam, are increasingly concerned about the lack of effectiveness of President Hamid Karzai government, there was no agreement on how to solve problems.

Oxfam warns that urgent action is needed to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, where millions face "serious difficulties comparable to sub-Saharan Africa." Although the country has received more than $ 15bn (£ 7.5bn) of aid since 2001, the money is not to plan that could lead to lasting improvements in people's lives, "said Oxfam.

She added that at least 1200 civilians have been killed so far this year, half in international operations or by Afghan forces. He noted there are four times more air strikes by the international forces in Afghanistan in Iraq.

The Senlis Council wants NATO forces, and their provincial reconstruction teams, to assume a greater role in distributing aid and Oxfam says the army should stick to ensure safety.
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