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An Afghan soldier keeps watches - Source: Reuters -
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A roadside bomb killed 30 people in southern Afghanistan,
officials said, in an attack that showed the rapidly worsening toll
from bombs scattered across the country's highways by
insurgents.
Ahmed Shah, 45, lying in a hospital in the southern city of
Kandahar, said he was in a seat at the back of the crowded bus when
it swerved off road to avoid a crater left from another roadside
bomb the previous day.
"Then there was this big blast. I don't know how many people were
killed or wounded. I awoke myself in the hospital," he said, his
face slashed by shrapnel wounds.
Outside the hospital, a middle-aged woman named Bibi Gul wailed at
the loss of family members.
"Two of my brothers died, along with their wives," she said.
More than 1,500 civilians have been killed by violence in
Afghanistan so far this year, the United Nations said last
week.
It said 68% of the civilian killings were a result of militant
attacks, while 23% were caused by Afghan and foreign troops led by
NATO and the US military.
Provincial government spokesman Zalmai Ayoubi said the bomb went
off on a highway where an explosion had killed three civilians a
day earlier.
He blamed the Taliban for planting the devices.
Homemade bombs have become by far the deadliest weapon used by
insurgents fighting Western and Afghan government forces, and
civilians are frequently killed.
The Taliban usually distance themselves from blasts when
civilians are the victims.
Rising civilian toll
Attacks by insurgents have become deadlier this year than at any
time in the eight year old war.
The new commander of US and NATO forces, US Army General Stanley
McChrystal, wrote in a confidential assessment last month that he
needs more troops within a year or the war may be lost.
He has also called for a cultural shift in the way his 100,000
western troops operate, so that they can better protect
civilians.
On Saturday he submitted a request for thousands more soldiers to
the Pentagon - although the number has not been released, US
officials suggest he is seeking tens of thousands more.
President Barack Obama has said he will not take any decision until
he re-evaluates the overall strategy for the region.
That has been held up by a disputed presidential election, which
Obama says makes his decision more difficult.
Polls show support at home for the war, launched by Obama's
predecessor George Bush in the wake of the September 11, 2001
attacks on the United States, has waned in recent weeks.
Public opinion has also turned against the war in many European
countries, which also have troops in Afghanistan.
The new head of NATO, former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh
Rasmussen, said European countries were likely to be more
comfortable contributing trainers than combat troops, but said they
had added 9,000 troops in the last 18 months.
"The allies are not running from the fight, despite the
conventional wisdom," he said during an appearance on Monday at the
Atlantic Council, a policy group in Washington.
Obama's decision on whether to send more troops is not likely to
come until after the election dispute is finally resolved.
Afghan election officials have sent for ballot boxes to conduct a
partial recount of the Aug. 20 vote.
Preliminary results gave President Hamid Karzai a 54.6% lead, but a
UN-backed fraud watchdog has ordered an audit of the results from
12% of polling stations where suspiciously large numbers of votes
were cast or one candidate received 95%.
If enough votes for Karzai are nullified for fraud that he no
longer has 50%, he would face a second-round run-off against main
challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah. Authorities
hope to complete the fraud investigation in the next two weeks so
that a second round could be held before winter weather sets in at
the end of October.
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