KABUL, Oct 5: The Afghan government and the United States on Sunday played down Afghanistan’s bloodiest period since the Taliban fell, with Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage saying recent attacks showed the militants were “frightened”.

Speaking after meetings with officials in Kandahar and President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, Mr Armitage said he had witnessed “fantastic changes” since his last visit to the country in May.

Asked about a recent upsurge in militant and factional violence which has seen more than 300 people, including US soldiers, killed since August, he told a news conference: “I think what you are witnessing is a Taliban that is frightened, they see the writing on the wall, that’s why they are attacking so viciously these great signs of progress for the people of Afghanistan.”

Afghan Foreign Minister Dr Abdullah Abdullah said Afghanistan still had problems with security, but the incidents that had occurred often presented a false picture of the overall situation.

He said there had been great improvements since two years ago, when Afghanistan was the centre of global destabilization and a home to Al Qaeda.

“If elements of the Taliban and Al Qaeda are trying to hit back one way or another, that shouldn’t be perceived as a lack of improvement in the security situation,” he pointed out.

Mr Armitage said he had come to emphasize that the United States and its forces would remain involved in Afghanistan as long as Afghans wanted.

He said he also explained progress in securing additional aid and predicted that Congress would approve an extra $1.2 billion to bring US commitments for the calendar year to $2 billion.

Mr Abdullah said improving security was a process that required the building up and training a still small national army and a new police force and would require a lot more effort.—Reuters