South Asia News
Casualties will rise in 2010, US and British officials warn (Extra)
Feb 7, 2010, 12:04 GMT
Munich - This year will see tough fighting and rising casualties in Afghanistan before any signs of victory appears, top British and American officials warned Sunday.
The NATO-led forces in Afghanistan are set to be reinforced by some 40,000 men this year in a bid to deal a crippling blow to the Taliban-linked insurgency.
'We will have a tough year in 2010. There will be casualties. We need to let our allies know that. It's going to be a very tough year,' US Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain told the annual Munich Security Conference.
'2010 is going to be a difficult year, but it's also going to be a decisive year. It has to be. We have to warn our populations of the difficulties to come. They can't believe there won't be sacrifice in the months ahead,' British Defence Minister Bob Ainsworth agreed.
NATO forces have been fighting in Afghanistan for eight years, but casualties are rising and the insurgency shows no sign of buckling.
The hefty reinforcement is expected to lead to a fierce flare-up in combat, with a major Western operation expected in the flashpoint of Helmand province in the coming days.
'People have a tendency to believe these operations can be risk-free, and we have to confront that if were going to conduct them successfully,' Ainsworth said.
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