NATO troops in Afghanistan are bracing for a bloody winter ahead of the country’s presidential election, a senior U.S. military official said Tuesday, warning of an anticipated spike in high-profile attacks and political assassinations during a season that typically brings a lull in fighting.

Despite the ominous outlook for a period that will coincide with the U.S. military drawdown, NATO officials said Tuesday that they are “confident” that Afghan politicians and elders will sign off on a proposed deal to keep an American military force in the country after 2014.

The U.S. military official said Tuesday that he was “pretty confident there will be an agreement.” U.S. officials said the pact will be presented to a consultative body of influential Afghans, known as a loya jirga, late next month. If it signs off on the terms, the text will be presented to parliament for approval.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Tuesday that he, too, thought that an agreement would be reached, paving the way for a similar deal between the Afghan government and NATO.
(Washington Post)