More U.S. troops have been killed by Afghan troops since Feb. 1 than by Taliban

More U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan since Feb. 1 by their supposed Afghan allies — six — than in combat with the Taliban — just two — according to an Associated Press review of casualty data through Friday. Combat deaths typically are lower in the off-peak winter fighting season.

“There is something fundamentally wrong here,” says Peter Mansoor, a retired Army colonel who was Gen. David Petraeus’ executive officer in Baghdad in 2007-08. He said Iraqi troops sometimes betrayed their U.S. partners but not nearly to the extent seen recently in Afghanistan.

Administration officials insist there will be no backing away from working hand in hand with Afghan forces.

“If we can’t train the Afghan national army appropriately, we’re never going to be able to leave and we’re never going to win,” Jacobson said.