Travelling by Road in Afghanistan "Now More Dangerous Than Under Taliban", The Telegraph, 4 December 2009
EXCERPT: "Major General Nick Carter said that, before the 2001 invasion, young women could travel alone between major cities without risk of harm. Now, there is a constant threat from sophisticated IEDs and criminal gangs who rob and kidnap passengers. The admission heaped further pressure on Gordon Brown's strategy in Afghanistan, suggesting that little had changed despite the long and bloody campaign. But a Ministry of Defence spokesman sought to play down the remark, saying that security under the Taliban was enforced brutally whereas coalition forces would enforce it with democracy and justice. Roadside bombs planted by the Taliban are a major part of the problem, accounting for around 70 per cent of casualties among coalition troops alone. But the criminal gangs that operate with seeming impunity are of equal concern to locals, who complain that even the country’s main ring road, Highway One, is now plagued by bandits."
Read the full story.
Related articles:
New Afghan push takes aim at militants, CNN, 4 December 2009
In Kandahar, the Taliban own the night, ABC News, 4 December 2009
High-tech, armored off-roader key to Afghan surge, Wired News, 2 December 2009
Afghans sceptical about fresh troops, BBC News, 1 December 2009
Related posts:
Taliban sowing fear along Afghanistan's highways, 29 September 2009
Taliban present in 80% of Afghanistan, 10 September 2009
Afghan highway symbol of mission in crisis, 9 September 2009
Kidnappers target the rich, influential in Afghanistan, 30 September 2008
Insurgent activities increase in Afghanistan: NATO, 30 July 2008
