The Hill News

As insurgents launched their first major attacks of the new spring offensive, global media outlets again seized the opportunity to question the effectiveness of security in Afghanistan as the international mission proceeds with plans for its drawdown.

Once the smoke clears and the numbers are tallied, such attacks often amount to military failure, particularly in Kabul. The latest count includes 17 dead insurgents and few, if any, government forces. Also similar to past attacks, they often prove to be useful public relations stunts. After all, these ground attacks were designed to score points on a different battlefield, the airwaves. By effectively grabbing headlines, the insurgency further complicates the international mission's task with global media. It continues to be a difficult uphill struggle.

In addition, a series of negative incidents in recent months have provided the rebels' cause with considerable boosts. These include accidental Koran burnings ! at an American base and the massacre of Afghan women and children implicating a US soldier.

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