Western forces can repel Taliban offensive US envoy

KABUL, Mar 12 (Reuters) US-led forces can repel an expected spring offensive by the Taliban, and circumstances have turned less favourable for the insurgents in the past 18 months, the outgoing US ambassador to Afghanistan said today.

Last year was the deadliest Afghanistan has seen since the Taliban were ousted by the U.S.-led forces in late 2001 and the Taliban have threatened a major offensive in the spring.

But Ambassador Ronald Neumann said while the Taliban could carry out more attacks next year they were not as strong as they were before.

''I am feeling very confident that although we will see hard fighting... we will take the fight to the Taliban,'' he told a group of journalists in his last interaction with media before ending his assignment in Afghanistan.

''I think the bigger battles will be in the south.'' Southern and eastern regions bordering Pakistan bore the brunt of the insurgency last year. More than 4,000 people were killed in 2006, including about 1,000 civilians.

The Taliban have vowed to make 2007 even worse for government and Western troops in Afghanistan, and have said that they have 10,000 fighters poised for a spring offensive.

But Neumann suggested the insurgency was past its high water mark.

''I don't see it's (the Taliban) being that strong...I don't think the time is on their side the way it was a year and a year and a half ago.'' The US envoy praised Pakistan for its efforts to crack down on militants but urged Washington's key ally to do more.

''They need to work harder on the border but I don't think the border can be sealed.'' US and Afghan officials often complain that Taliban organise and launch attacks from sanctuaries inside Pakistani territory.

Pakistan says it is doing all it can to stem cross-border activities of the militants and urges foreign and Afghan forces to share the load securing the porous border.

Responding to a question about the whereabouts of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Neumann said he had not heard of any intelligence leads in the last one or two years.

''I wish we did. I think he is far more a symbolic rallying point for his operational commanders.'' Reuters PDM DB2130