NATO assessment emphasises setbacks for Taliban

The Hindu (Ray Rivera)
Despite a sharp increase in assassinations and a continuing flood of civilian casualties, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) officials said on Saturday (October 15) that they had reversed the momentum of the Taliban insurgency as enemy attacks were falling for the first time in years. It was the most optimistic assessment yet from senior NATO officials, and runs counter to dimmer appraisals from some Afghan officials and other international agencies, including the United Nations.