'US Official Says Afghan Government Controls Only 30 Percent of Country', Voice of America, 27 February 2008
EXCERPT: "The U.S. Director of National Intelligence, Michael McConnell, says the Afghan government controls only 30 percent of the country. His assessment came in testimony to a Senate panel Wednesday, as VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill. Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell told the Senate Armed Services Committee that a recent review by the U.S. intelligence community shows that the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai controls just under one-third of the country. McConnell said most of Afghanistan is under local tribal control, while a small portion is under the control of the Taliban. "The Taliban was able to control with the population in the area about 10, 11 percent of the country," said McConnell. "The government, on the other hand, the federal government, had about 30, 31 percent, and the rest was local control.""
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See also:
Barry Newhouse, 'Afghan Official: Kabul Government Has Presence in 95 Percent of Country', Voice of America, 3 March 2008
'Annual Threat Assessment of the Intelligence Community for the Senate Armed Services Committee 27 February 2008: J. Michael McConnell - Director of National Intelligence', 27 February 2008
Related post:
'US: Tribal leaders still in charge in Afghanistan', 28 February 2008
'Taliban in control of 54 percent of Afghanistan: Senlis Council', 21 November 2007
