NATO operations cutback in Afghanistan "temporary"![]() September 18, 2012 - 14:27 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A cutback on NATO military operations alongside Afghan forces in response to a surge of insider attacks that have left more than 50 foreign troops dead is a "temporary" response to current threats, a coalition spokesman said on Tuesday, Sept 18. "To be honest, we see this as a temporary and prudent response to current threat levels from the U.S. film and insider attacks," said Colonel Tom Collins, a senior spokesman for NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, Reuters reported. Partner news Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer of the Oklahoma medical examiner's office, said 51 were confirmed dead. An Islamist insurgency, once confined largely to the republic of Chechnya, has spread across the North Caucasus in recent years. Earlier, at least five Azerbaijan soldiers were killed and six seriously injured when their vehicle rammed into a tree and overturned. Among its provisions are bans on child marriage and the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes. Partner news |