Heavy Afghan fighting expected: US ambassador

CHARIKAR, Afghanistan, Jan 22 (Reuters) The US ambassador to Afghanistan today said he expected heavy fighting with the Taliban this year but the government was growing stronger which made him optimistic about the country's prospects.

Last year was the bloodiest in Afghanistan since US-led troops drove the Taliban from power in 2001.

The violence, particularly in southern and eastern provinces near the border with Pakistan, has eased since a bitter winter set in but it is expected to intensify again when the weather improves.

''Yes, I do expect there will be some heavy fighting in the spring, both in the south and the east,'' US ambassador Ronald Neumann told reporters during a visit to a town north of Kabul.

''I believe the Taliban now feel that time is not on their side anymore, that there's an expansion of the army, there's an expansion of NATO, there is an expansion of government authority.'' ''I think the Taliban has to try to fight and therefore it will,'' Neumann said.

There are more than 40,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, about half of them American, the most since 2001.

Neumann, visiting the town of Charikar 60 km from Kabul for the opening of a US-funded road project, said he was confident the Taliban would be tackled but it was important to be realistic about the danger.

''I believe that we will be strong and be pushing them back but I think we have to be honest with people and tell them that there may be some hard fighting,'' he said.

US President George W Bush last week nominated William Wood to replace Neumann as ambassador to Afghanistan as part of the changes Bush is making in his foreign policy team heading into his last two years in office.

Neumann said he was more optimistic now about Afghanistan than he was when he arrived in July 2005.

''I'm seeing better governors ... there has been a considerable change in the leadership of the police forces,'' he said.

''None of these things are perfect or complete or quick, but when you add them up together, there is a considerable element of progress.'' ''Year by year the government is ... becoming stronger,'' he said. ''That's why I'm feeling more optimistic as we go into a year in which I also expect heavy fighting.'' REUTERS LL RK2136