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Reported drop in Taliban attacks in Afghanistan incorrect

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    Jennifer Griffin reports from the Pentagon

  • Duration 2:29
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Happening now -- new report some say could seriously undermine the Obama administration's contention that the Taliban is in red -- retreat in Afghanistan.

As the US draws down its combat troops there chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin has that live from the Pentagon Jennifer.

Hi John it seems -- Obama administration and the Pentagon have been using misleading figures about the war in Afghanistan.

And how well it is going the US led military coalition in Afghanistan incorrectly reported a decline.

In Taliban attacks last year reporting that the attacks were down by 7%.

A fact that drove the Obama administration's narrative.

That its strategy has been working and that six that success is allowing US troops to come home early quote during a quality control check.

-- -- recently became aware that some data was incorrectly entered into the database.

That is used for tracking security related incidents across Afghanistan.

US commanders insist their assessment about progress in Afghanistan remains unchanged the coalition corrected these quote clerical errors -- recently removing.

Without explanation all the monthly reports from last year on transit security and violence.

It now turns out that the number of Taliban attacks in 2012.

Were flat compared to 2011.

And did not represent a 7%.

US officials' testimony and repeated claims to the contrary.

-- violence levels have been trending downward.

In the last two years after five years of steady increases beginning in 2000.

Six.

We've also seen that the Taliban.

It has not been able to regain any of the territory.

That they -- law.

During these last few years.

Unfortunately those statements by the -- the Defense Secretary weren't true it seems somebody forgot to include the Afghan security forces numbers.

In the database because the Afghan commanders forgot to send in their reports from the battlefield.

John.

So the numbers are going up at least the numbers we're seeing from last year.

Not going up they were flat.

It's just that they were reported as being 7%.

Doubt and -- and in fact they weren't there was no change from 2011 to 2012 that's what I meant that the that the number that was originally reported is going up all right.

Went and got that straight Jennifer -- -- pentagon thank you.

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