US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Afghanistan on an unscheduled visit following an increase in Taliban violence in the southern parts of the country. The trip comes amid reports that the NATO is readying to take over all military operations in the southern areas this month. Ultimately, it will spread its tentacles throughout the country.



According to senior US military officers, the Taliban while more organized than last year is not necessarily stronger. Rather it is benefiting from lack of strong Afghan security forces to fight insurgency.



US operations in the country often get intermingled with the fighting in Iraq. Violence in Afghanistan has shown an upward trend that is blamed on the narcotics trade, which passes through Tajikistan markets in Russia and Europe. This US Defense Department officials say is funding Taliban activities.



Mr Rumsfeld, on his 11th visit to the region, corroborated this view and rubbished arguments that his country’s preoccupation with the fighting in Iraq has contributed to the increase in drug trafficking and violence in Afghanistan. US army officers say that Afghan insurgents have taken to new tactics like use of roadside bombs, which have already taken their toll on their forces in Iraq.



The US army officers are convinced that the source of violence in Afghanistan particularly the southern part is more complex. It involves not just Taliban forces but also drug traffickers, disputes over territory and general ‘criminality.’



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