Afghanistan War News Updates -- January 10, 2011

U.S. Marine Corps Command Sgt. Maj. Bryan Link stands on machine gun casings and links at a Forward Operating Base in the village of Darrah-I-Bum, Badghis province, Afghanistan, Jan. 5, 2011. He is the command sergeant major for Special Operations Task force-West. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Brian Kester

People Turning Against Taliban -- IPS

SOUTH WAZIRISTAN AGENCY, Jan 10, 2011 (IPS) - The Taliban once regarded as true jihadists here are rapidly losing popularity in response to their ongoing targeting of mosques, schools and innocent people.

"It is not surprising that the Taliban’s popularity graph is dwindling. They no longer enjoy the quantum of public support they had at the time of the attack on Afghanistan by U.S.-led forces," said Jamilur Rehman, a resident of South Waziristan and a student at the University of Peshawar.

Rehman hopes that the Taliban will soon vanish because they are rapidly losing local support. Quite apart from the horror of the atrocities themselves, killing women and children has also weakened the Taliban, he says.

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More News On Afghanistan

Afghan insurgents match surge with more IEDs -- USA Today
Senior Taliban commander among 15 killed in Afghanistan -- Hindustan Times
Three Afghan police killed by Taliban car bomb -- AFP
Police killed in Afghan bombing -- Al Jazeera
NATO: 3 Afghan police officers killed in mistaken-identity strike -- CNN
Foreign troops say may have killed Afghan police -- Reuters
NATO strike kills 3 Afghan police -- AP
US troops wage war with cash in Afghanistan -- AFP

Afghans Strained by Shortages as Iran Tightens Flow of Fuel -- New York Times
Afghans vent fury with Iran over fuel blockade -- The Telegraph
Afghan protesters accuse Iran of blocking fuel exports -- BBC

German foreign minister visits Afghanistan (Roundup) -- M&C
Germany says has no plans to boost Afghan AWACS force -- Reuters
Westerwelle visits German troops in Afghanistan at close of trip -- Deutsche Welle

Another Afghan Surge: The Pentagon sends more troops. -- Wall Street Journal
Opium Production in Afghanistan: Strong and Corrupt as Ever -- RAWA News