Afghan war harder than expected

CIA Director Leon Panetta has admitted the war in Afghanistan has become tougher and slower amid a surge in Taliban attacks against foreign troops in the country.

Less than a week after General Stanley McChrystal was relieved of his duties as the top commander of all US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, the CIA chief has expressed concerns about the unanticipated intricacy of the nine-year-old war against the Taliban in the country, saying attacks on foreign troops is on the rise.

“I think the Taliban obviously is engaged in greater violence right now. They are doing more on IED`S (improvised explosive devices). They are going after our troops. There’s no question about that.” Panetta said.

Speaking to the ABC network’s “This Week” program on Sunday, Panetta added, “we are making progress. It’s harder, it’s slower than I think anyone anticipated”, AFP reported.

Asked about NATO and Washington’s problems in dealing with the growing militancy in the country run by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the CIA chief responded: “We’re dealing with a tribal society. We’re dealing with a country that has problems with governance, problems with corruption, problems with narcotics trafficking, problems with a Taliban insurgency.”

The remarks come as in the latest development in Afghanistan on Sunday two more US troops were killed and six others injured during attacks launched by the Taliban.

The fatalities have pushed the number of foreign troops killed so far this month to 92 as June has shaped up to be the deadliest month for US-led soldiers in Afghanistan.