A series of kidnappings and murders on Afghanistan&#39;s highways has some officials and travellers questioning the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)-backed strategy that reduces&nbsp;security check posts in order to free up police and soldiers to go after the Taliban. 
 
Since the end of May, more than 200 people have been reported kidnapped and at least 21 murdered in northern and eastern Afghanistan. 
 
Roads have long been dangerous in the war-torn country, as the Taliban insurgency and other Islamist militant groups have expanded their reach. 
 
But the spike in abductions and killings, widely blamed on the Taliban, comes a few months after the NATO-led international mission encouraged Afghan security forces to close many smaller checkpoints. 
 
In late May, the Taliban also named a new leader, although it is not clear if they have changed tactics to go after softer targets. 
 
Defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish said measures were being taken to make travel safer. The vast majority of Afghan individuals and businesses have to use roads, because flights are either unavailable or unaffordable to them. 
 
&quot;Kidnapping of innocent people, which is a new tactic by the Taliban, is a concern for us,&quot; said Radmanish. &quot;We have increased the number of patrols and bases&nbsp;on major highways during the day time.&quot; 
 
The move to staff fewer checkpoints was aimed at reducing casualties among security forces as well as bolstering offensive operations, and the coalition says it still supports the policy. 
 
&quot;The reduction of checkpoints has actually allowed the Afghan Security Forces&nbsp;to respond more quickly to enemy activity and move from a defensive mindset to one that&#39;s more offensive in nature,&quot; coalition spokesman Brigadier General Charles Cleveland said. 
 
The road attacks against civilians, however, have taken Afghan officials by surprise, and the government is reviewing the policy, said one senior Afghan military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 
 
Cleveland said he was optimistic Afghan security forces would be able to better secure transportation routes. 
 
&quot;Taliban are everywhere&quot; 
 
Bus drivers and passengers described a growing sense of fear, despite government efforts to stop the attacks. 
 
&quot;The Taliban are everywhere and take hostages whenever they want to,&quot; said bus driver Nasrullah, who travels between the capital Kabul and Kunduz in the north and uses one name. 
 
&quot;Some passengers are so afraid (that they) keep talking to family members on the phone, sometimes the whole journey.&quot; 
 
Ghazni province, where 12 people were killed and nearly 50 kidnapped in road attacks on Wednesday, lies astride the vital highway from Kabul to Kandahar in the south. 
 
Soldiers still try to patrol the route during the day, but with many checkpoints closed they only provide a temporary presence, said Hanif Rezaee, spokesman for the army in Ghazni. 
 
&quot;There are still small checkpoints, but at the end of the day, the soldiers move back to their bases,&quot; he said. &quot;It is very difficult for us to provide 24 hour patrolling.&quot; 
 
Security officials said the Taliban&#39;s ploy may be to expose the government&#39;s weakness outside major urban centres. 
 
&quot;By kidnapping passengers, the Taliban are trying to provoke people against the government, showing that it can&#39;t provide security,&quot; said Mohammad Qasim Jangalbagh, police chief of Kunduz, where security forces have rescued at least 140 hostages kidnapped in May. 
 
Criminals also blamed 
 
Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for the Afghan interior ministry, said the government was re-examining its highway security strategy in light of recent attacks. 
 
&quot;We have decided to increase the number of checkpoints on major highways and also increase the number of regular patrols.&quot; 
 
Asked why road attacks had increased markedly, he replied: &quot;The Taliban had high expectations when they started their spring offensive, but since then Afghan forces have hit them hard, and killed hundreds of their commanders and shadow governors. 
 
&quot;Now the Taliban want revenge or to compensate (by attacking) innocent people.&quot; 
 
The Taliban have not claimed all recent road attacks, and a spokesman was not immediately available to comment. 
 
Insurgents are not the only ones profiting from lawlessness, according to bus driver Mohammed Shir, who travels between Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, another northern city. 
 
&quot;There are always Taliban stopping cars and searching,&quot; he said. &quot;Sometimes they are thieves and only want your belongings. Such incidents happen more often from evening till dawn when there are no government security forces.&quot; 
 
The number of bus passengers has dropped sharply, and those who can afford it are opting for air travel, said Mohammed Zakaria, who runs a bus company in Mazar-i-Sharif. 
 
Those who cannot go by air increasingly travel only during the day. 
 
Off-duty members of the security forces are frequently targeted by militants. 
 
When Sher Baz, a police officer based in Ghazni, travels to Kabul to see his family, he often hides his identification card to avoid being targeted should he be stopped. 
 
&quot;It is a very difficult journey, but I have to make it because there is no direct flight,&quot; he said.

The NATO-led mission, Resolute Support, was launched in January 2015 reduced security check posts to bolster offensive operations

A series of kidnappings and murders on Afghanistan's highways has some officials and travellers questioning the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)-backed strategy that reduces security check posts in order to free up police and soldiers to go after the Taliban. Since the end of May, more than 200 people have been reported kidnapped and at least 21 murdered in northern and eastern Afghanistan. Roads have long been dangerous in the war-torn country, as the Taliban insurgency and other Islamist militant groups have expanded their reach. But the spike in abductions and killings, widely blamed on the Taliban, comes a few months after the NATO-led international mission encouraged Afghan security forces to close many smaller checkpoints. In late May, the Taliban also named a new leader, although it is not clear if they have changed tactics to go after softer targets. Defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish said measures were being taken to make travel safer. The vast majority of Afghan individuals and businesses have to use roads, because flights are either unavailable or unaffordable to them. "Kidnapping of innocent people, which is a new tactic by the Taliban, is a concern for us," said Radmanish. "We have increased the number of patrols and bases on major highways during the day time." The move to staff fewer checkpoints was aimed at reducing casualties among security forces as well as bolstering offensive operations, and the coalition says it still supports the policy. "The reduction of checkpoints has actually allowed the Afghan Security Forces to respond more quickly to enemy activity and move from a defensive mindset to one that's more offensive in nature," coalition spokesman Brigadier General Charles Cleveland said. The road attacks against civilians, however, have taken Afghan officials by surprise, and the government is reviewing the policy, said one senior Afghan military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Cleveland said he was optimistic Afghan security forces would be able to better secure transportation routes. "Taliban are everywhere" Bus drivers and passengers described a growing sense of fear, despite government efforts to stop the attacks. "The Taliban are everywhere and take hostages whenever they want to," said bus driver Nasrullah, who travels between the capital Kabul and Kunduz in the north and uses one name. "Some passengers are so afraid (that they) keep talking to family members on the phone, sometimes the whole journey." Ghazni province, where 12 people were killed and nearly 50 kidnapped in road attacks on Wednesday, lies astride the vital highway from Kabul to Kandahar in the south. Soldiers still try to patrol the route during the day, but with many checkpoints closed they only provide a temporary presence, said Hanif Rezaee, spokesman for the army in Ghazni. "There are still small checkpoints, but at the end of the day, the soldiers move back to their bases," he said. "It is very difficult for us to provide 24 hour patrolling." Security officials said the Taliban's ploy may be to expose the government's weakness outside major urban centres. "By kidnapping passengers, the Taliban are trying to provoke people against the government, showing that it can't provide security," said Mohammad Qasim Jangalbagh, police chief of Kunduz, where security forces have rescued at least 140 hostages kidnapped in May. Criminals also blamed Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for the Afghan interior ministry, said the government was re-examining its highway security strategy in light of recent attacks. "We have decided to increase the number of checkpoints on major highways and also increase the number of regular patrols." Asked why road attacks had increased markedly, he replied: "The Taliban had high expectations when they started their spring offensive, but since then Afghan forces have hit them hard, and killed hundreds of their commanders and shadow governors. "Now the Taliban want revenge or to compensate (by attacking) innocent people." The Taliban have not claimed all recent road attacks, and a spokesman was not immediately available to comment. Insurgents are not the only ones profiting from lawlessness, according to bus driver Mohammed Shir, who travels between Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, another northern city. "There are always Taliban stopping cars and searching," he said. "Sometimes they are thieves and only want your belongings. Such incidents happen more often from evening till dawn when there are no government security forces." The number of bus passengers has dropped sharply, and those who can afford it are opting for air travel, said Mohammed Zakaria, who runs a bus company in Mazar-i-Sharif. Those who cannot go by air increasingly travel only during the day. Off-duty members of the security forces are frequently targeted by militants. When Sher Baz, a police officer based in Ghazni, travels to Kabul to see his family, he often hides his identification card to avoid being targeted should he be stopped. "It is a very difficult journey, but I have to make it because there is no direct flight," he said.

Fewer checkpoints cause Taliban to expand reach, make Afghan highways dangerous

US President Barack Obama may not decide before the NATO summit next month whether to alter plans to nearly halve America&#39;s forces in Afghanistan, a diplomat and a US official said. 
 
A decision had been expected at or before the summit in Warsaw on July 8-9 on whether to stick to plans to slash the 9,800 troops to 5,500 before Obama leaves office next year. 
 
Former commanders and envoys have warned that it would be a mistake. And with preparations in full swing for the summit, the timing of any decision by Obama remains unclear. 
 
US defence secretary Ash Carter flies to Brussels on Monday to meet NATO counterparts, with Afghanistan expected to be high on the agenda. 
 
One reason to decide on slowing the US drawdown before the summit might be to encourage NATO allies to keep their troops in Afghanistan, where President Ashraf Ghani&#39;s government is battling a Taliban insurgency that has gathered fresh momentum. 
 
NATO allies seem less intent on cutting their troop presence, which could give Obama more time to formulate and telegraph his own plans. 
 
&quot;We have been moderately, pleasantly surprised at the willingness to stay at current levels of most other allies, and some willingness to consider increasing,&quot; said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 
 
&quot;Just because there is a summit doesn&rsquo;t mean (you) need a decision,&quot; he added. 
 
To be sure, Afghanistan will be a major issue at the summit and Obama still could make a decision before then. 
 
&quot;It does not have to happen by Warsaw but it certainly will be a topic there,&quot; said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. &quot;The size and scope of other nation contributions are a logical consideration in our decision-making.&quot; 
 
The White House has yet to receive the recommendations from its new commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, who conducted a comprehensive security review during his first 90 days on the job. The review&#39;s results have not been made public. 
 
In a sign of his willingness to broaden the US role in Afghanistan, Obama last week approved giving the US military greater ability to accompany and to enable Afghan forces in offensive operations, including carrying out air strikes. 
 
Speaking on Friday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters the decision to broaden the remit &quot;does not limit in any way our ability to follow through with the plan to draw down our troops at a level of 5,500 troops by the end of this year.&quot; 
 
Obama would consider changing the troop numbers if Nicholson recommended that, Earnest said. 
 
Nicholson&#39;s predecessors and former US envoys to Afghanistan urged Obama earlier this month to keep troop levels steady at near 10,000 through the remainder of his term. 
 
&quot;This approach would also allow your successor to assess the situation for herself or himself and make further adjustments accordingly,&quot; the letter read. &nbsp; 
 
Cutting the forces to 5,500, in turn, would erode the morale of Afghan government forces and bolster the Taliban, they wrote. 
 
Obama has already scaled back the troop withdrawal plans he laid out in May 2014, when he pledged to cut to roughly 5,000 by end 2015 and to &quot;a normal embassy presence ... with a security assistance component, just as we&#39;ve done in Iraq&quot; by the end of 2016. 
 
Among the factors weighing in his troop decision include how much, if any, additional support he may get from other NATO nations; the signal that a cut will send to Ghani and to the Taliban; and what kind of legacy he leaves his successor.

One reason for the slow US draw down before the summit might be to encourage NATO allies to keep their troops in Afghanistan

US President Barack Obama may not decide before the NATO summit next month whether to alter plans to nearly halve America's forces in Afghanistan, a diplomat and a US official said. A decision had been expected at or before the summit in Warsaw on July 8-9 on whether to stick to plans to slash the 9,800 troops to 5,500 before Obama leaves office next year. Former commanders and envoys have warned that it would be a mistake. And with preparations in full swing for the summit, the timing of any decision by Obama remains unclear. US defence secretary Ash Carter flies to Brussels on Monday to meet NATO counterparts, with Afghanistan expected to be high on the agenda. One reason to decide on slowing the US drawdown before the summit might be to encourage NATO allies to keep their troops in Afghanistan, where President Ashraf Ghani's government is battling a Taliban insurgency that has gathered fresh momentum. NATO allies seem less intent on cutting their troop presence, which could give Obama more time to formulate and telegraph his own plans. "We have been moderately, pleasantly surprised at the willingness to stay at current levels of most other allies, and some willingness to consider increasing," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Just because there is a summit doesn’t mean (you) need a decision," he added. To be sure, Afghanistan will be a major issue at the summit and Obama still could make a decision before then. "It does not have to happen by Warsaw but it certainly will be a topic there," said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The size and scope of other nation contributions are a logical consideration in our decision-making." The White House has yet to receive the recommendations from its new commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, who conducted a comprehensive security review during his first 90 days on the job. The review's results have not been made public. In a sign of his willingness to broaden the US role in Afghanistan, Obama last week approved giving the US military greater ability to accompany and to enable Afghan forces in offensive operations, including carrying out air strikes. Speaking on Friday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters the decision to broaden the remit "does not limit in any way our ability to follow through with the plan to draw down our troops at a level of 5,500 troops by the end of this year." Obama would consider changing the troop numbers if Nicholson recommended that, Earnest said. Nicholson's predecessors and former US envoys to Afghanistan urged Obama earlier this month to keep troop levels steady at near 10,000 through the remainder of his term. "This approach would also allow your successor to assess the situation for herself or himself and make further adjustments accordingly," the letter read. Cutting the forces to 5,500, in turn, would erode the morale of Afghan government forces and bolster the Taliban, they wrote. Obama has already scaled back the troop withdrawal plans he laid out in May 2014, when he pledged to cut to roughly 5,000 by end 2015 and to "a normal embassy presence ... with a security assistance component, just as we've done in Iraq" by the end of 2016. Among the factors weighing in his troop decision include how much, if any, additional support he may get from other NATO nations; the signal that a cut will send to Ghani and to the Taliban; and what kind of legacy he leaves his successor.

Decision to halve US troops in Afghanistan unlikely by Warsaw summit

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