War in Afghanistan photo roundup

November 8, 4:36 PMStaten Island Independent ExaminerJohn Signoriello

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Afghan army soldier secures road after militant attack on fuel convoy. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)  

President Obama plans to meet with his security team  on Wednesday to discuss troop increases for Afghanistan while the war in that country rages on.

Estimates for troop increases in Afghanistan likely to be approved by the President range from 30-80 thousand.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai appeared more firmly in control as his opponent decided to forego a runoff election, while  world leaders continued to warn him that he must crack down on corruption if he expects continued international support.
 

NATO French Foreign Legion soldiers set up a mortar position. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) 

October was a particularly deadly month for U.S. troops:

Eight American troops died in two separate bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan, making October the deadliest month of the war for U.S. forces since the 2001 invasion to oust the Taliban.

Eleven American soldiers were killed in separate helicopter crashes. In one incident, two U.S. helicopters collided in flight, killing four American troops.
 

 Flag in Afghanistan at half-mast in honor of Ft. Hood victioms.(AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)  

Meanwhile, a disturbing new trend developed raising concerns about discipline within the Afghan forces and possible infiltration by insurgents.

British and Afghan authorities reported last week that an Afghan policeman opened fire on British soldiers in the volatile southern province of Helmand, killing five.

"The soldiers concerned were mentoring Afghan national police. They were working inside and living inside an Afghan national police checkpoint, just outside Nad-e-Ali district center," Lt. Col. David Wakefield, spokesman for the British forces, told Sky News. "It is our initial understanding that an individual Afghan policeman possibly acting in conjunction with one other started firing inside the checkpoint before fleeing from the scene."

The incident came almost exactly a month after an Afghan policeman on patrol with U.S. soldiers opened fire on the Americans, killing two before fleeing.

Here is a slideshow of recent AP photos of the Afghanistan conflict: