U.S. sees big progress in eastern Afghanistan

By Andrew Gray

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and NATO forces are close to achieving "irreversible momentum" in their battle with insurgents in eastern Afghanistan, a senior commander said on Wednesday.

The Taliban and other insurgent groups have been strongest in eastern and southern Afghanistan but U.S. Army Major General Michael Tucker said security had improved this year in the east, where U.S. forces lead NATO troops.

He said about 80 percent of insurgent activity now took place in southern Afghanistan, where the United States plans to deploy thousands of troops in the coming months to reinforce British, Canadian, Dutch and other NATO soldiers.

"We're approaching what you could actually, cautiously term irreversible momentum in the east," Tucker told reporters at the Pentagon by videolink from Afghanistan.

Violence in Afghanistan is at its highest levels since U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban in late 2001.

Insurgent attacks in the first three months of this year were up 73 percent on the same period a year ago, according to NATO statistics obtained by Reuters.

Tucker, deputy chief of staff for operations for NATO and U.S. forces, said the improvement was partly due to an influx of some 4,000 U.S. troops to the area earlier this year.

A pilot project creating a local community protection force has also begun in the east and economic development efforts are well established there, Tucker said.