GHABALAY GROUP - U.S. Army Spc. Brian E. King conducts a patrol with his unit and Afghan soldiers in the Ghabalay village area in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province, Feb. 16, 2010. King is the forward observer assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Gary A. WitteMajor-General Richard Barrons Puts Taleban Fighter Numbers At 36,000 -- Times Online
The general in charge of persuading Afghan fighters to put down their weapons has estimated that there are as many as 36,000 insurgents, giving a rare appraisal of the fighting force at the command of the Taleban.
Reiterating the view that finding jobs for those fighting Western and Afghan forces was the key to ending the war, Major-General Richard Barrons said of the militants: “Some are ideological full-time jihadis, some are linked to the insurgency for localised reasons, local grievances; some because it’s a way to make a living; some because they like to fight; some because their communities are hedging their bets between the Government and the insurgency.”
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