The loss of a military helicopter with 17 Americans aboard in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday comes at a time of growing insecurity here. For the first time since the United States overthrew the Taliban government three and a half years ago, Afghans say they are feeling uneasy about the future.
Violence has increased sharply in recent months, with a resurgent Taliban movement mounting daily attacks in southern Afghanistan, gangs kidnapping foreigners here in the capital and radical Islamists orchestrating violent demonstrations against the government and foreign-financed organizations.
The steady stream of violence has dealt a new blow to this still traumatized nation of 25 million. In dozens of interviews conducted in recent weeks around the country, Afghans voiced concern that things were not improving, and that the Taliban and other dangerous players were gaining strength.
The above is from Carlotta Gall's "Mood of Anxiety Engulfs Afghans as Violence Rises" in this morning's New York Times. If there's one story you read from the Times, this would be a good one to select. If you don't click on links, just be aware of it and note the excerpt above.
Correction: Piece written by Carlotta Gall & David S. Cloud with assistance from Eric Schmitt. Apologies to Cloud & Schmitt.
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
[Note: In the correction, I then went on to mispell Carlotta Gall's name. My apologies.]
