Both Iraq and Afghanistan were the target of major US-led wars, both are besieged by strong insurgencies, and both are still struggling to establish solid institutions.
"The situation in the north has become much more difficult, a much stronger insurgency than we had before," said a senior Western diplomat, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the subject.
According to at least one estimate, 10percentt of the estimated 25,000-man-strong insurgency were hardcore religious extremists, while the rest accepted training and funds from the "Taliban," but lacked ties to their ideology or broader agenda beyond throwing out the invaders.
This nationwide effort, which is now seeking support from the international community, is a living monument to honor victims of a 60-year-old civil strife that's coming to an end after nearly four years of negotiations between the government and the FARC -- one of the world's oldest and strongest insurgencies.
But with Mr. Karzai's political stock low and the Taliban insurgency strong, he said, the demand seems largely political.
NATO's top commander called for troop reinforcements to fight a stronger than expected insurgency in Afghanistan's south.
This makes today's insurgency stronger than previous ones, but the separatists will nevertheless struggle to prevail over Pakistan's huge army.
I had never felt so reinforced, My doubts, so strong a counter-insurgency before, faded away.
8 Insurgency Appears Strong Despite assurances by the United States that the insurgency in Iraq is on the wane, the guerrillas appear to be growing more violent.
The Women's Affairs Ministry has had a hard time recruiting women to work in its provincial offices in the Pashtun south and east of the country, where the insurgency remains strong.
