Fight in Afghanistan will shift to Pak border: US

The outgoing commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan has said that the focus of the war will shift in coming months from Taliban strongholds in the south to the eastern border with Pakistan where insurgents closest to al-Qaeda and other militants hold sway.

On his last Fourth of July in uniform before becoming the new CIA director, Gen David Petraeus said yesterday that come fall, more special forces, intelligence, surveillance, air power will be concentrated in areas along Afghanistan's rugged eastern border with Pakistan.

There will be substantially more Afghan boots on the ground in the east and perhaps a small number of extra coalition forces too.

"There could be some small (coalition) forces that will move, but this is about shifting helicopters lift and attack. It's about shifting close-air support. It's about shifting, above all, intelligence, surveillance and recognizance assets," he said in interviews with The Associated Press and three other news outlets.

The US-led coalition has concentrated most of its troops and attention in Helmand and Kandahar provinces in southern Afghanistan. That's where the majority of the more than 30,000 US reinforcements were deployed last year. They have made gains in clearing the territory and now are trying to hold it as the Afghan authorities and international donors rush in with plans for development and better governance.

However, the civilian effort in the south has lagged behind the progress on the battlefield and the fight continues.