US general expects spike in violence before winter

WASHINGTON (PAN said Wednesday, noting that they expect a spike in violence in the next few months.

“I believe in the Afghan security force — I believe right now that they’re winning and that they cannot be defeated by the enemies of Afghanistan,” Major General James McConville, International Security Assistance Force Regional Commander-East, told Pentagon correspondents in a tele-conference.

“What we’re seeing right now is their ability to run the score up.  They’re winning, but not but a significant over-match or a significant score that the enemies of Afghanistan feel that they have a chance to continue fighting,” he said in response to a question.

In certain areas, like the Afghan Air Force, it’s going to take a few more years before they’re at fully operational capability.  That’s going to give them the capability to be so strong that the enemies of Afghanistan are not going to be willing to continue the conflict, he said.

“Right now, we’re at a key and decisive time.  Ramazan has just finished.  We’re expecting a spike in violence.  With about 60 days left in the fighting season, we expect the enemies of the Afghan people to come out and try to achieve those objectives that they’ve not been able to achieve,” Major General James McConville, International Security Assistance Force Regional Commander-East, said.

In a tele-conference with Pentagon reporters, McConville described it as a very critical time. “This is the first time that the Afghan security forces have been in the lead during the entire fighting season.  And they believe they’re winning, and I tend to agree with them,” he said.

McConville said so far this fighting season, the enemies of Afghanistan really have not had any successful type operations.   “So we’re kind of expecting …they would like to do some high-profile attacks, hopefully get into Kabul and maybe blow up some things, maybe hurt some innocent people.   They’d like to maybe assassinate some senior leadership.   And they would like to attack our troops,” he said. 

 “So we anticipate that, and we’re prepared to do those type things.   And at the same time, the Afghan security forces, like they’ve done the entire fighting season, are going to be in the lead and they’re going to try to block these attacks,” the US general said.

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