The top American military commander here expressed deep concern Tuesday that the country could slide into civil war and face "very hard times" unless its fractious civilian leadership unites and the haphazard array of armed groups joining the anti-Taliban fight are controlled and made "accountable" for their actions in battle. The comments by Gen. Austin “Scott” Miller, who met with a group of journalists, came as Taliban forces continued their rapid advance across northern provinces and expanded into other rural regions. The insurgents also began circling closer to the capital city. In the past 48 hours, officials and Afghan media reported, Taliban fighters have overrun parts of two provinces just north and south of Kabul, and attacked security posts in a third that hugs the city’s western border. Miller, who is overseeing the drawdown of U.S. forces here but said he would be replaced in its final stages, described the process as going well “from a military standpoint.” But he acknowledged that the looming departure had damaged the morale of Afghan defense forces, which he said were already stretched thin after months of heavy fighting, often with poor support.