U.S. Military: Taliban Set to Retake Power in Afghanistan

February 1, 2012

According to Reuters, the U.S. military said in a secret report that the Taliban, backed by Pakistan, are set to retake control of Afghanistan after NATO withdraws its forces from the country. "Many Afghans are already bracing themselves for an eventual return of the Taliban," Britain's Times of London newspaper said today, quoting the "highly classified" leaked report. "Once ISAF [NATO-led forces] is no longer a factor, Taliban consider their victory inevitable." The report stated that Pakistan's security agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, was directly assisting the Taliban in attacks against foreign troops -- which Pakistan denies. According to the United Nations, violence in Afghanistan is at its worst since the Taliban were ousted by U.S.-backed forces in 2001, despite the presence of about 100,000 troops.