Afghanistan 2008 In Review

Afghans cycle past a building which was built during the 1920s as a part of the reformist King Amanullah Khan's modernization drive in Kabul. Afganistan has been embroiled in conflict for more than three decades. Eight civilians were killed in separate insurgent attacks in Afghanistan, as the US-led coalition said it killed five Taliban rebels elsewhere in the country. (AFP/Manpreet Romana)

2008 Afghanistan's 'Worst Year': Minister -- Yahoo News/AFP

KABUL (AFP) - This year has been the bloodiest for insurgent violence in Afghanistan as increasing numbers of terrorists change battlegrounds and head here from Iraq, the defence minister said Tuesday.

"The level of violence has increased every year and 2008 has been the worst of all," Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak told reporters, referring to the launch of an insurgency after the extremist Taliban regime was ousted in 2001.

The minister, who did not provide figures, said the rise in militant attacks did not reflect inefficiency on the part of the growing Afghan forces or the international soldiers helping them.

He said that rather "the success of the coalition forces in Iraq and also some other issues in the neighbouring countries have made it possible that there is a major increase in the foreign fighters (in Afghanistan)".

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My Comment: And 2009 is going to be worse.