Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said today there are several possible explanations for the recent spike in insider attacks against U.S. troops - including fasting because of Ramadan.
The Associated Press reports Allen told reporters today the fact Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink except at night during the holy month of Ramadan could be one reason green on blue violence increased last month. The stress of fasting, personal grievances, and Taliban infiltration all added to the immense stress Afghan forces are under, according to Allen:
"It's a very tough time for these (Afghan) forces...
"We believe that the combination of many of these particular factors may have come together during the last several weeks to generate the larger numbers."
