2012 was a year of success on the battlefield for the US/ NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF), with significant militant retreat. There was decrease in Taliban activities in the hotbed of insurgency in the south — Helmand, Zabul and Kandahar provinces. We saw calm in the region as a result of the surge of the US troops.

ISAF casualties fell by 38 percent in 2012 compared to 2011, with ANSF taking control in many provinces during the transition process covering almost 75 percent of the Afghan population now. Resultantly, there was a hike in casualties of Afghan forces. There was some genuine anti-Taliban local resistance while others were propped up by the Afghan intelligence. It did force Taliban out of some districts. Facing significant defeat on battleground, Taliban increasingly focused on change of tactic by infiltrating the ANSF to attack NATO troops and causing a crisis of trust between them, which eventually led to suspension of some training programs.

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