Military: Shift Troops to Afghan Front

The US military is calling for an accelerated withdrawal from Iraq and a shift of troops and equipment to Afghanistan, reports the Washington Post. The post-surge reduction of violence in Iraq has coincided with resurgent Taliban activity in Afghanistan; both NATO and US commanders there say they need several additional battalions, helicopters, and other resources to combat it.

"There's a real dilemma there for the US," said the former US commander in Afghanistan. Resource allocation will rely in part on a spring report from Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus on the situation in Iraq. Some officials worry that peace in Iraq is temporary while insurgents wait for US forces to leave. “Quiet doesn't signify surrender," warned one analyst. (More Afghanistan stories.)