A "New" Taliban Proving Deadly to NATO Forces

April 09, 2007 1:13 PM
ABC News

Anna Schecter Reports:

Coalition forces in Afghanistan are fighting a deadlier Taliban than ever, as jihadis returning from Iraq use techniques like suicide bombings and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to challenge NATO forces, experts tell ABC News.

"The cross-pollination from Iraq is making it much more difficult for NATO soldiers in Afghanistan," said Richard Clarke, former White House counter-terrorism czar.

Six NATO soldiers, all Canadian, were killed on Easter Sunday by an IED in the southern Afghanistan city of Kandahar. It was deadliest attack on NATO troops this year.

Clarke said sophisticated IEDs and suicide bombings similar to those used against Western forces in Iraq are new in Afghanistan since last year.

Though US officials cannot quantify exactly how many Taliban members are back from Iraq, they say there are enough to have significantly increased the number of attacks on NATO forces in recent months.

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