“Washington (CNN) — A new Defense Department report on Afghanistan says dramatic increases in fighting against the Taliban have failed to convince the local population that the Afghan government and coalition forces will succeed.

“The Taliban’s strength lies in the Afghan population’s perception that Coalition forces will soon leave, giving credence to the belief that a Taliban victory is inevitable,” the report says.”

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/23/us.afghanistan.taliban/