Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 5, 2008 6:12:27 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Hit-and-Run Tactics Keeping Taliban Afloat

Posted May 2, 08 8:29 PM CDT in World 

(Newser) – The Taliban might hope Sunday's brazen attack on Afghan president Hamid Karzai signaled a new age of potency for the rebels. But although deaths from Taliban violence are on the rise, the Economist argues, the organization has not grown substantially—it has shifted its strategy away from conventional firefights to the “asymmetrical” warfare used by militants in Iraq and Israel.

The Taliban has embraced roadside and other bombings—which accounted for 80% of casualties last month, compared to 44% a year earlier. Such tactics strongly affect public opinion while costing less in life and resources than traditional warfare—in  firefights, it was estimated the Taliban lost 15 fighters for every NATO soldier killed—thus raising hopes it can outlast the Western occupiers.

Source Economist

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Taliban Photos Enrage French

    9 hours, 6 minutes ago
    Taliban Photos Enrage French A magazine photo shoot of Taliban fighters wearing the uniforms and personal effects of dead French troops has shocked France, the Guardian reports. Paris Match ran the photos and an interview with a Taliban commander who claims to be responsible for the ambush that killed 10 French soldiers last month. France's defense minister accused the magazine of "doing the Taliban's promotion." More »

  • Afghans: US Intentionally Fostering Instability

    Aug 20, 08 10:50 AM CDT
    Afghans: US Intentionally Fostering Instability Many Afghans believe the US is purposely avoiding attacking Taliban strongholds in Pakistan in an effort to keep Afghanistan destabilized and justify a continued military presence, according to Anis, the country’s state-run newspaper. Such suspicions have long run through the country, but their appearance in the paper could be a sign the government is impatient with its top backer, Reuters reports. More »

  • Sarkozy Renews Afghan Support

    Aug 20, 08 7:10 AM CDT
    Sarkozy Renews Afghan Support Nicolas Sarkozy reaffirmed his support of the Afghan mission today, in the wake of a Taliban ambush that killed 10 French soldiers and wounded 21 others, the BBC reports. After meeting with Hamid Karzai, Sarkozy told troops to be proud of their “indispensable” work. “We're going to make sure that the means are put in place to ensure that this doesn't happen again,” he said.   More »

  • Sarkozy Headed to Afghanistan After French Troop Deaths

    Aug 19, 08 10:53 AM CDT
    Sarkozy Headed to Afghanistan After French Troop Deaths French President Nicolas Sarkozy plans to visit Afghanistan after 10 French troops were killed and 21 injured by Taliban fighters in an ambush near Kabul, the Guardian reports. The battle—which began yesterday and continued into today—nearly doubled the number of French soldiers who have lost their lives in Afghanistan—only 14 had been killed since the 2001 invasion. More »

  • Afghanistan's Insurgency Endures

    Aug 14, 08 12:26 PM CDT
    Afghanistan's Insurgency Endures The insurgency in Afghanistan is mushrooming, and targeting the refurbished highway that provides a weak connection between the country's ethnic halves, the New York Times reports. A series of deadly attacks in June has exposed the tribulations of the United States' 6-year-old effort to defeat the Taliban.
    More »

The Taliban has changed tactics in their Afghanistan rebellion, moving from set-piece offensives to a hit-and-run style that cuts its casualties while boosting hopes it can outlast NATO troops.   (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder, File)
The Taliban has changed tactics in their Afghanistan rebellion, moving from set-piece offensives to a hit-and-run style that cuts its casualties while boosting hopes it can outlast NATO troops.   (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)
Afghan President Hamid Karzai was the target of an assassination attempt Sunday in Kabul.   (AP Photo/Xinhua, Zabi Tamanna)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 4)

Tags

Afghanistan  • Taliban  • insurgents  • NATO  • bombing  • suicide bombing  • Hamid Karzai


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »