Taliban mount series of attacks in Afghanistan

JALALABAD, Afghanistan, (Reuters) – Taliban fighters  attacked a foreign military base at the main airport in  Afghanistan’s east today, one of four incidents in 24  hours that marked a sudden upswing in violence.
In an apparent demonstration that the insurgency has not  been weakened despite NATO-led forces saying they have made  gains, militants mounted attacks in Jalalabad and Kunar in the  east and northern town Kunduz, as well as in the capital Kabul  yesterday.
The attacks will likely send a clear message to NATO  leaders who will gather for a summit in Lisbon next week that  the security question in Afghanistan is still far from  resolved, and that the Taliban remain a formidable enemy.
The spike in violence could not come at a worse time for  European NATO leaders, who are feeling increasing pressure at  home amid sagging support for the drawn-out war.
Today’s attacks in Jalalabad, Kunduz and Kunar also came  on the day that marked the ninth anniversary of the Taliban  being overthrown in Kabul by U.S-backed Afghan forces for  harbouring al Qaeda before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the  United States.
The spike in violence also comes as U.S. President Barack  Obama is due to review his Afghanistan war strategy next month.
His commanders have been talking up recent successes and he  remains committed to starting a gradual troop drawdown from  July 2011, but increased violence would send a terrible message  after Obama’s Democrats were mauled in mid-term elections last  week.
It also comes as acceptance of the need for a negotiated  settlement grows, with peace talks being approached gingerly.
Analysts say that the Taliban have proved in the past that  they can time attacks to coincide with important events  elsewhere in the world and that a sudden jump in such attacks  would not be surprising given the high stakes.