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Officials: U.S. losing ground in afghanistan

By Times Wires
Published February 28, 2008

WASHINGTON

New U.S. intelligence assessments cast doubt on President Bush's recent claim that Taliban and al-Qaida forces in Afghanistan are "on the run." In fact, American and NATO troops have been unable to contain an expansion of Taliban insurgents in southern and western Afghanistan, two top U.S. intelligence officers said Wednesday. They said the insurgents increasingly are funded, armed, trained and directed by al-Qaida from its sanctuary in neighboring Pakistan. The director of national intelligence, Mike McConnell, described the situation in Afghanistan as "deteriorating" even though U.S. and allied forces there have roughly doubled since 2004, from about 26,000 to nearly 50,000 today. These troops will be reinforced with about 2,200 Marines, who will arrive soon in southern Afghanistan. McConnell told the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday that the "security situation has deteriorated in some areas in the south, and Taliban forces have expanded their operations into previously peaceful areas of the west and around Kabul." McConnell said the Taliban is in control of about 10 percent of the country, with the central government able to control about 30 percent.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip

Cross-border fighting picks up

Israeli aircraft blasted Hamas government offices and metal shops late Wednesday, killing a baby and wounding more than 30 people in a retaliatory strike after a militant rocket killed an Israeli college student. The bloodshed fed worries about a new outbreak of heavy fighting between the Israeli army and militants in Gaza Strip. The U.S. government announced Wednesday that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would meet next week with Palestinian and Israeli leaders to discuss a peace accord.

GENEVA

Yellow fever seen in urban areas

The U.N. health agency said Wednesday it is closely monitoring vaccine supplies for yellow fever as it confirmed the first cases of the deadly, mosquito-borne disease in a Latin American urban area in six decades. In urban areas, the fever can "spread like a fire in the forest," said Dr. William Perea, the World Health Organization's yellow fever chief.

SAO PAULO, Brazil

'Spiderman' scales 42-story building

A French skyscraper climber nicknamed "Spiderman" scaled a 42-story building with his bare hands Wednesday, delighting nearly 2,000 onlookers. He was quickly detained by police. With no safety equipment, Alain Robert crawled down and then back up the facade of the 495-foot Edificio Italia, one of the tallest buildings in South America's biggest city, said Alessandra Soave Costa, one of the building's assistant administrators.

[Last modified February 28, 2008, 01:23:33]