Nato chief: Afghanistan on a knife-edge
Almost three-quarters of Afghans could side with the Taliban, the general says
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Sunday, 08, Oct 2006 07:57
The commander of Nato's forces in Afghanistan has said the country has reached "tipping point", with the next six months set to decide its long-term future.
General David Richards told reporters that violence-weary citizens will eventually turn to the Taliban themselves if the situation did not improve.
"They will say, 'We do not want the Taliban but then we would rather have that austere and unpleasant life than [the one] that might involve than another five years of fighting'," the British officer said.
"If we collectively do not exploit this winter to start achieving concrete and visible improvement then 70 per cent of Afghans could switch sides," Gen Richards added.
The general commands 32,000 troops in the Asian country, but says he needs 2,500 more to alleviate ongoing security concerns.
Despite an upsurge in violence in Afghanistan's southern provinces in recent months, General Richards insisted that the situation had "broadly-stabilised", pointing to the border with Pakistan as the most volatile area.