| The American commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan has said Islamic insurgents would pose a challenge to the country for years if safe havens continued to exist in Pakistan. “If there are going to be sanctuaries where these terrorists, these extremists, these insurgents can train, can recruit, can regenerate, there’s still going to be a challenge there,” said General Dan McNeill, when asked if he agreed with Senator John McCain’s forecast that the Taliban threat in Afghanistan would be ‘greatly reduced’ by 2013. However, he said efforts to strengthen the Afghan army and police had put them on course to reduce the size of the coalition force in 2011. McNeill, who leaves his post next week, also said peace deals on the other side of the border (Pakistan) were behind a recent spike in violence in Afghanistan. |