Another Deadly Attack in Afghanistan as Suicide Attacks Continue to Rise

A suicide bomber blew himself up today outside a U.S. military base in Khost, Afghanistan, in the deadliest attack in that country since September. Eight civilians were killed and five others wounded, according to a NATO spokesman. There is no word yet of any U.S. military casualties. Attacks in Afghanistan have increased 50 percent to 70 percent since September when the Pakistani government made a peace deal with the Taliban in the tribal areas of neighboring Pakistan. THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS Taliban Leader Is Hiding and Being Protected in Pakistan, Says Spokesman ‘We’re Losing Ground’ in Afghanistan,  Says Top NATO Commander Pakistan Throws in the Towel Click Here to Check Out the Latest Brian Ross Webcast "Basically, it appears that the Taliban have achieved their objective from this agreement, which was always to get a truce with the army of Pakistan so that they could have a free hand to consolidate their rear in North Waziristan so that they could escalate their attacks in Afghanistan, and they have succeeded," said Barnett Rubin, Director of Studies at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, in a recent interview with ABC News. Rubin expects that the number and gravity of attacks in Afghanistan is sure to rise. Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage. "This spring I expect a much bloodier offensive in Afghanistan and several areas simultaneously, including perhaps rocket attacks on cities and real escalation of suicide attacks in those areas," said Rubin. Suicide attacks in Afghanistan in 2006 far outnumbered those in 2005. According to U.S. military figures, there were 27 suicide attacks there in 2005. In 2006, there were 139.