"I do believe that the level of significant activities, maybe violence, will be higher than any previous winter since 2002," said Major General Jeffrey Schloesser in a video teleconference from Afghanistan.

"I would say definitely they're looking for an opportunity to try to attempt what we would call spectacular attacks like we've seen from time to time in Kabul and other cities, such as in Khost," he said.

Schloesser's comments came as President George W. Bush considered recommendations from the Pentagon that would send about 4,500 additional US troops to Afghanistan by early next year, including an army brigade that had been slated to go to Iraq.

The general, who commands US and international forces in eastern Afghanistan, said he needs additional troops in the next few months to mount an aggressive winter campaign against the insurgents.

"We're not losing this war, we won't lose it if those troops don't show up in the next several months," Schloesser told reporters.

But to "maintain the momentum and get after this winter campaign, then we are going to the need them in, say, the winter time frame," he added.

He said US forces were making steady progress against the insurgency but it was "a slow win."

The number of insurgent attacks has grown by 20 to 30 percent in the first eight months of this year in the eastern sector along the border with Pakistan, compared to the same period last year, he said.

Roadside bombs are up 30 percent over last year, while attacks on such "symbols of governance" as district centers are 40 percent higher this year than last, he said.

He estimated the size of the insurgent force at between 7,000 and 11,000 fighters distributed among a "syndicate" of militant groups that have come together around a common cause.

They include the Taliban, the Taliban in Pakistan, the Al-Haqqani network, Al-Qaeda, foreign fighters from Chechnya and a Kashmiri separatist group, Lashkar e-Toiba, he said.

"I expect the enemy to continue to fight throughout Ramadan," Schloesser said, referring to the Muslim holy month, which is now under way.

"For the first time, we're also seeing some indications that I'm paying close attention to that the insurgents are attempting to remain in numbers in Afghanistan over the winter," he said.

He said he intends to counter that by targeting the insurgents' winter stores and hiding places, and intercepting them when they are on the move.

The US military operations will be accompanied by a "development surge" of small scale projects to keep military age males employed during the winter months, he said.

The general refused to comment on an incident earlier this week in which US special operations forces were reported to have crossed the Pakistani border by helicopter and attacked a village in South Waziristan.

Missile strikes in the border area also appear to be stepping up.

In addition to more troops, Schloesser said he needed more "enablers" like helicopters and reconnaissance and surveillance assets to keep a close watch for insurgent movements.

Schloesser was vague about the number of troops he needs, saying it was "some number of thousands."

Currently, there are 33,000 US troops in Afghanistan.

earlier related report
Berlin paid 20,000 dollars compensation for Afghan deaths: report
Germany paid 20,000 dollars in compensation to relatives of a woman and two children shot dead last week at a checkpoint manned by its soldiers in northern Afghanistan, a report said Saturday.

The weekly Der Spiegel, in the report to appear in its next edition out Monday, said two payments had been made by German army officers, initially of 5,000 dollars, with the remainder being handed over on Friday.

A tribal chief in Kundu who received the cash remarked that "the problem with the Germans" was now settled, Der Spiegel added.

A German military spokesman in Potsdam, near Berlin contacted by AFP refused to comment Saturday.

On Wednesday defence ministry spokesman Christian Dienst said the payment of compensation and an apology for the previous Thursday's incident had prevented the family launching a "vendetta" against German soldiers in revenge.

"The measures led to a significant calming of the situation among the Pashtun clan concerned and leads to an improvement in security for German soldiers on the ground," he said.

He refused to say how much money had been paid. Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung also made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Tuesday to pay his respects to the relatives.

German and NATO forces said that the three were killed after both German and Afghan troops opened fire on a vehicle that had failed to stop at a checkpoint even after warning shots had been fired.

It was one of a recent string of incidents that analysts say are damaging the reputation of the almost 70,000 international troops as well as the Afghan government, which need the backing of the local population if they want to beat a Taliban-led insurgency.

Defence ministry spokesman Dienst stressed that the payment was "not an admission of guilt" and that the incident was still being investigated.

Prosecutors in Potsdam have reportedly launched proceedings against one of the German soldiers involved for suspected manslaughter.

Germany's 3,300 troops, under NATO command, are based in northern Afghanistan which is seen as relatively calm compared to the more volatile south and east where British, Canadian and US troops have borne the brunt of Taliban attacks.

The mission is highly unpopular in Germany.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
News From Across The Stans

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News