Petraeus says tough summer ahead

The top US and Nato commander in Afghanistan said Wednesday that fighting this summer may be worse than last year but some reduction in American forces is still possible in July. General David Petraeus told The Associated Press that he will present President Barack Obama with plans for varying levels of troop reductions that accommodate the president's July target for beginning a drawdown.
He said the extra forces poured in by Obama have made progress in Afghanistan but continued to describe the gains as "fragile and reversible." As Taliban fighters start trying to take back southern strongholds during the traditional spring and summer fighting season, violence may spike considerably, he said. "Many intelligence estimates say that it will be as violent or perhaps even more violent" as the same period of 2010, Petraeus said in an interview at his office in Kabul. He spoke ahead of a trip to Washington, where he is scheduled to testify on Capitol Hill next week.