U.S.: Afghanistan Battle to Escalate

Syria may be the headlining news, but military officials in Afghanistan are preparing for an escalation coming this winter to disrupt next year's spring presidential elections and a larger Western withdraw of forces. Normally, winter is a quiet point for the country, but as the season approaches, the Taliban is plotting a campaign aimed at "high-profile attacks," and "targeted killings of political officials, election officials and candidates," says an American military officer. In February, the number of U.S. troops is set to drop from 50,000 to 34,000.