Number of Afghan insurgents grow rapidly since 2006

The number of Taliban-led insurgents in Afghanistan has grown rapidly from 7,000 to 25,000 since 2006, according to a new U.S. intelligence estimate.

The estimate, presented to U.S. President Barack Obama and leaked out by the New York Times and other news outlets on Friday, includes so-called "hard-core" Taliban loyalists and other insurgents affiliated with them.

U.S. officials said the figure are not necessarily accurate, given the fact that the insurgents often operate in small units and some of them are not full-time fighters.

They also hope some moderate elements of the insurgency could break away from the "hard core" Taliban loyalists if situations change in the future.

Nevertheless, U.S. officials said the insurgency not only grows in ranks, but also remains very resilient and very flexible.

How to deal with Taliban emerges as a core question to Obama's ongoing review of his Afghan strategy.

White House aides said Thursday that the focus of the strategy is now shifting away from the Taliban in Afghanistan to al-Qaida cells in Pakistan.

That shift, analysts said, could draw stark lines between the president and his generals.

The U.S. military linked al-Qaida and the Taliban as a dual enemy, and recommends a counterinsurgency strategy to defeat them, which would require more troops.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, requested Obama to send a minimum of 40,000 more troops to that country.

However, senior White House advisors are pushing back the request, saying that the United States should focus on destroying al-Qaida cells and accelerating training of Afghan forces.

A final decision on the strategy adjustment, including troop levels, is still weeks away, according to the White House.

Source: Xinhua