WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- One aspect of U.S. policy in Afghanistan is succeeding -- targeted killings of Taliban insurgents, military sources tell The New York Times.
U.S. President Barack Obama announced a new war plan for Afghanistan last year, including an addition of 30,000 U.S. troops to the 65,000 NATO troops already in the country. The focus of that new plan, the Times said, was to keep the Afghan people safe, set up a competent government and win the public's allegiance.
But that strategy has seen little success, indicated by faltering military operations in Marja and Kandahar, plus the spread of Taliban influence in other parts of the county, the report said.
The Obama administration, facing its own deadline to begin withdrawing troops by July 2011, is relying more on targeted attacks and the hunting down of insurgents, the Times said.
In the view of some officials, the report said, the targeted attacks could hasten a political settlement with the Taliban.
UPI
