War in Afghanistan

The US military announced yesterday that it has temporarily suspended the bulk of joint field operations with Afghan troops amid a wave of so-called insider attacks. US and Afghan troops will continue to patrol, but will not run operations together without the approval of a regional commander. The move comes after Afghan police on Sunday killed four more American soldiers. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday the U.S. is concerned about the impact insider attacks are having on its forces in Afghanistan. But Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander there, said the attacks do not mean the Taliban are succeeding. Instead, they "are resorting to efforts that try to strike at our force, try to create chaos, but do not in any way result in their regaining territory that has been lost."