Obama deeply concerned over rise in green-on-blue attacks

 The number of insider attacks or the green-on-blue attacks, in which Afghan security forces turn their weapons against foreign forces occupying their country, has increased in 2012. At least 40 US-led soldiers have been killed in such attacks so far this year.
 
"Obviously, we have to do more, because there is an uptick over the last 12 months or so on this," Obama said on Monday at a White House news conference, AFP reported.
 
The US president stated that “we have been watching with deep concern the so-called green-on-blue attacks where you have Afghan individuals, some of whom are actually enrolled in the Afghan military and in some cases dressing up as Afghan military or police, attacking the coalition's, including our own troops."
 
He said Afghan security forces must be trained to take over from the foreign forces.
 
His comments came after the recent flurry of the green-on-blue attacks.
 
In the latest incident, an Afghan policeman shot dead one US-led NATO soldier on Sunday in the southern part of the country.
 
The incident occurred in the police headquarters of Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province, Kandahar police sources said.
 
The increasing number of military casualties in Afghanistan has caused widespread anger in the United States and other NATO member states, undermining public support for the Afghan war.
 
    According to the website icasualties.org, over 300 foreign troops, mostly US personnel, have lost their lives in Afghanistan so far this year. 
 
 
A total of 566 US-led forces died in Afghanistan in 2011. However, 2010 remains the deadliest year for foreign military casualties, with a death toll of 711.
 
Insecurity continues to rise across Afghanistan, despite the presence of about 130,000 US-led forces in the country.