Corruption, government failure fuelling (sic) Afghan insurgency

[ProSense]

Corruption, government failure fuelling Afghan insurgency

by Sardar Ahmad
Sun May 28, 7:42 AM ET

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AFP) - A worrying upsurge of Taliban-linked violence in southern Afghanistan is being fuelled by government corruption and lack of development, analysts say.

An incident in which 34 civilians were killed nearly a week ago in a coalition strike in Kandahar province prompted a rare visit by President Hamid Karzai, who seldom dares set foot in the area, to reassure an increasingly frustrated population.

And on Saturday about 200 bearded and turbaned tribal elders, religious leaders and political officials met to debate the problem.

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Afghan officials said last week that Taliban militants were trying to retake some territory in the south, the birthplace of their ultra-Islamist movement, moving the insurgency on from mere guerrilla-style attacks.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060528/wl_sthasia_afp/afghanistanattackspolitics_060528114224