By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
KABUL, Afghanistan – NATO, U.S. and Afghan forces are preparing to counter an expected Taliban spring offensive, the commander of combined forces here said today.
Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, commander of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan, spoke to reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. The secretary is visiting the country to get a firsthand look at the situation on the ground and to meet with senior Afghan and American officials.
The general, who has served more than three years in Afghanistan since 2002, said he expects the Taliban to launch a terror offensive in the south and east of the country. “I would expect that the enemy will have its main effort against southern Afghanistan,” he said. “The enemy will try to conduct terror attacks against Kandahar and other urban centers.”
Eikenberry’s command inactivates Jan. 21, and most American forces in Afghanistan already report to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. Between 23,000 and 24,000 American servicemembers are in Afghanistan, the highest troop level the United States has had in the nation, Eikenberry said. “I don’t anticipate any reduction,” he added.
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