World underestimated resurgent Taliban, NATO says (Iraq war partial blame)

World underestimated resurgent Taliban, NATO saysMore KABUL, June 29 (Reuters) -

The commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan said on Thursday the international community had underestimated a resurgent Taliban, partly because the war in Iraq diverted attention and resources

.Violence in Afghanistan is at its worst since 2001, but the NATO commander, Lieutenant General David Richards, said he was optimistic the insurgency could be dealt with.

"There's no doubt there is a resurgent Taliban problem," Richards told the BBC in an interview."

Why? Largely it's because people took their eye off this ball and a vacuum was allowed to
develop, and that vacuum was filled by the Taliban," the British general said.

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