U.S. Says Attacks Are Surging in Afghanistan

By DAVID S. CLOUD
New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 15 — Senior American officials said Tuesday that they had seen a threefold surge in insurgent attacks in Afghanistan in recent months, caused by militants coming across the border with Pakistan, and they vowed to hold new talks with Pakistani officials on curbing the influx.

Of particular concern, the officials said, has been rise in attacks by Taliban and other militants launched from remote and largely ungoverned remote tribal areas in Pakistan into eastern Afghanistan, where most American combat forces are based.

“The border area is a problem,” said Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who is making his first visit to Afghanistan since taking office. He told reporters after meeting with the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, that more attacks were “coming across the border,” including some from Al Qaeda networks.

Mr. Gates flew by helicopter on Tuesday to a small joint American-Afghan base in Khost province, less than a mile from the border.

In that part of the border region, there has been a threefold increase in cross-border attacks since September, according to a senior American intelligence officer.

Fighters “cross the border on a regular basis,” said Staff Sgt. Ronald Locklear, one of the 120 America soldiers at the base, which he said was being hit by rocket and mortar fire at least once a week. Other officials said they had evidence that Pakistani border guards ignored they infiltration of Taliban fighters.

(The rest is here.)