Because insurgent activity was negligible until recently, the NATO troop presence in Parwan and nearby provinces was kept to a minimum. Since NATO ousted the Taliban from parts of Helmand Province last year, however, the insurgents have worked to expand their influence from the predominantly Pashtun south to the more ethnically diverse northern and central provinces. With most Afghan and NATO troops stationed in the southern and eastern parts of the country, security in once-peaceful regions has deteriorated, as the Taliban attempt to demoralize NATO and undermine support for the mission in coalition countries by demonstrating the breath of their reach.
Using diverse tactics -- pitting communities against each other in some cases, preying on people's frustration with the government in others, and employing classic intimidation in large measures -- insurgents have seized territory in northern provinces such as Kunduz, Baghlan, and Badakhshan, where they previously had slight influence.
The Taliban's spread to the north of the country has been noted for some time, but the spike in insurgent activity in the central provinces is a more recent phenomenon. It is not unique to Parwan. In Kapisa, which also borders Kabul, a suicide bomber killed five French soldiers last month. To the west, in Wardark, security has been deteriorating since 2009, but attacks have recently been creeping closer to Kabul. Last week, five police officers and three intelligence agents were abducted by the Taliban in the Maydan Shah area and beheaded. The proximity of these incidents to the capital further entrenches the impression that the government's writ does not extend outside of Kabul.
