| GEO World | | Violence to 'spike' in Afghanistan: Dutch general | Updated at: 0818 PST, Saturday, March 21, 2009
WASHINGTON: The arrival of more US troops in southern Afghanistan this summer will trigger a rise in violence, but the reinforcements will help improve security in the longer run, a NATO general said Friday.
More US boots on the ground are needed and could turn the tide, but will mean more contact with insurgents in the volatile south, said the Dutch commander of NATO forces in the region, Major General Mart de Kruif.
"I'm absolutely sure that we will see a very important year in RC (Regional Command) South, that we will see a spike in incidents once the US force hits the ground, but the situation will significantly change in a positive way within the next year," Kruif told Pentagon reporters by video link from Kabul.
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