KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Gates is in southern Afghanistan getting a firsthand look at operations in an area of the country where the Taliban has the most influence.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Friday that Gates wanted to get a close-up look at Kandahar where U.S. and NATO forces are ramping up security in an effort to rout insurgents from their strongholds and bolster governance.
On Thursday, Gates met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Petraeus says that as joint forces push into Taliban-controlled territory, the insurgents are fighting back and waging a fear and intimidation campaign to keep local Afghans from siding with international forces and the Afghan government.
