In France, a Muslim Offensive Against Evolution (Time.com)

By STEPHANIE LE BARS / LE MONDE / WORLDCRUNCH StEphanie Le Bars / Le Monde / Worldcrunch – Thu Jun 2, 2:20 pm ET

This post is in partnership with Worldcrunch, a new global news site that translates stories of note in foreign languages into English. The article below was originally published in Le Monde.

EVRY - On a recent Friday evening, Maroua Gousa is standing behind the latticed wooden partition in the section of an Evry mosque reserved for women, watching a presentation projected onto a screen below in the large prayer hall for men. Fond of exploring religious ideas and practices, the 19-year-old student is taking part in a debate with 200 other participants in this city just south of Paris.

The gathering is actually the most recent installment of a new attack aimed at the science of evolution led by Harun Yahya, an outspoken Turkish-born Muslim advocate of creationism who is considered widely controversial within the Islamic world.

Harun Yahya, the pseudonym of Adnan Oktar, never presents himself in person, speaking either by video or through zealous representatives armed with grandiloquent tracts distributed for free. In France, he made himself known in 2007 when he attempted to introduce thousands of copies of his Atlas of Creation into French schools. His work purports to scientifically demonstrate "the frauds and dictatorship" of the evolution-of-species theory. (See a TIME video about France's ban on the niqab.)

But since January, the 55-year-old with a well-trimmed beard has launched a new campaign that is clearly targeting the Muslim faithful. Gousa, dressed in a traditional black robe decorated with rhinestones and a white veil that she wears only when she comes to the mosque, admits she has always wondered about "the dinosaurs and the origin of man ... but at school, it cannot be refuted: we're taught that man descended from monkeys. At home and in the Koran, [we're taught] that we descended from Adam and Eve, and that God created all living beings."

Ali Sadun Engin, Yahya's representative in the current tour of French mosques, seems to have convinced the young girl. "I find his explanations logical," she says. The proof for creationism is demonstrated with some perfunctory presentations of fossils, including bear, crocodile and tortoise skulls, and can be summarized in a few brief sentences: "If fish left the water to walk, if dinosaurs were transformed into birds, then we should discover fossils of these beings in transition. However this is not the case. Science thus shows one sole truth: creation as we know it from the Koran."

Based on this fact, Engin jokes about "frogs transformed into princes." He insists that a "Muslim cannot be a Darwinist." Yahya himself has promised $7 million to anyone who brings him a fossil from one of the transitional species. (See "Showing Faith in France.")

The scientific content of these works by someone who has studied only art and philosophy in Istanbul was judged to be of "pathetically poor quality" by French academics appointed in 2007 by the Education Ministry to evaluate Atlas of Creation. Yahya's methods are nevertheless known to be as effective as those used by American Evangelicals, and he isn't afraid to shock participants. Engin invoked Hitler and 9/11 in order to declare that "all Darwinists are not terrorists, but all terrorists are Darwinists."

The discussion on the origins of life appears to hit its target in the audience, a mixture of "mainline" believers and devout fundamentalists. Amadou Bah, a 26-year-old student of finance, is happy to have these "clarifications." "Like all Muslims, I am a believer in the theory of creation, but I didn't have arguments to defend it," she says.

"At school, we believed the teachers, but here their theses are disproved," adds Yanina Gelassi, a 19-year-old student veiled in black. "They don't have the truth." Nouri Hamid, 28, a doctoral student in genetics, is not "totally in agreement that there is a complete lack [of evidence] for the evolution of species," but he also says that "science has never demonstrated the connection between Homo sapiens and man." (See why France's voice for Muslims is the target of Islamophobe aggression.)

Similarly, the "concordist" approach to the Koran, defended by the conference speakers, is popular among young Muslims. This concept states that the recent scientific discoveries only confirm the scientific content of the sacred book. "This proves to us that, despite all of the research, God said and wrote everything down in the Koran nearly 1,400 years ago," says Najoua Oubaya, a 21-year-old saleswoman.

"These discussions are good for the people because they prove that the West has discovered nothing and that Islam is superior, even scientifically," wrote Nidhal Guessoum, a Muslim astrophysicist, in Le Monde in 2009. The author of REconcilier l'Islam et la science moderne: l'esprit d'AverroEs (Reconciling Islam and Modern Science: The Spirit of Averroes), he describes Yahya's methods as "do it yourself," and defends the search for connections between science and faith as the same as what has been done in Christianity. In 1996, Pope John Paul II confirmed that the theory of evolution was "more than a hypothesis," but the Catholic Church maintains that science is not the sole contributor to the explanation of the origin of life, as Pope Benedict XVI recalled in 2007.

"The scientific manipulations of Harun Yahya are alarming for the Muslim community," says SaId Branine, who runs the site Oumma.com and organized a training program on the topic.

Branine said he is worried by the lack of reflection among Muslims about the relationship between science and religion. "Creation is subject to faith, and many fear that by questioning this belief, they question the cause of their faith as well," he said. "This demonstrates the need to train Muslim intellectuals. All the more so because Yahya has abundant resources." The source of the funds that support Yahya's Science Research Foundation remains a well-kept secret.

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Taliban use child bomber at start of offensive

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — On the first day of its promised spring offensive, the Taliban used a 12-year-old boy as a suicide bomber in an attack Sunday that killed four civilians, President Hamid Karzai said, calling the child's recruitment inhumane and un-Islamic.

It was one of several attacks across the country that killed seven people, government officials said.

The insurgent movement announced in a statement Saturday that it would step up operations against military bases, convoys and Afghan officials, including members of the peace council working to reconcile with top insurgent leaders. The offensive begins each year after a winter lull in fighting.

"The use of children and youths who don't know the difference between right and wrong in terrorist attacks is inhumane and against all Islamic principles," the president said.

The suicide bomber detonated a vest packed with explosives inside a bazaar in the Barmal district of Paktika province, 160 miles (260 kilometers) southeast of Kabul, on the border with Pakistan. The blast killed four civilians and wounded 12, said Mokhlis Afghan, a spokesman for the provincial governor's office.

Among the dead ? and the likely target of the attack ? was Sher Nawaz, head of a new district council in the Shakeen area of Paktika province, Afghan said.

In the Taliban's announcement on its offensive, it suggested it would try to limit civilian casualties in its operations.

"Strict attention must be paid to the protection and safety of civilians during spring operations by working out a meticulous military plan," it said.

A United Nations report released earlier this year presented evidence that the Taliban was responsible for the majority of civilian deaths in Afghanistan in 2010, and Afghan and NATO officials have repeatedly accused the Taliban of breaking its own rules of engagement.

According to documents from the Joint Intelligence Group at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Taliban systematically recruits and trains juveniles to be suicide bombers.

The documents, recently released under a Freedom of Information Act request, include statements from detainees and suggest that child recruitment is organized and extensive among Islamic militant groups.

U.S. military intelligence officers said juveniles are often recruited at mosques and Islamic schools and that they are in turn encouraged to recruit their friends. Some are lured by extremist literature or videos. The documents suggest that extremists find youths easier to recruit than adults and that they become more pliant disciples of militant Islam.

"Taliban used hard-line interpretation of the Quran as a recruitment tool," according to the confidential documents.

The reports say that juveniles are used to perform a variety of tasks including delivering messages, conducting surveillance and fighting on the battlefield.

"Juveniles are more willing to martyr themselves due to their lack of reasoning on taking innocent lives," the documents say.

A March 2010 article in the CTC Sentinel, published by an independent think-tank called the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, described how juveniles routinely attended militant training camps in Waziristan, along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan near the site of Sunday's suicide attack.

"The age of suicide bombers range from seven to 40," according to the article, which drew heavily from Pakistani police interrogations and interviews with suspected militants. "Large suicide training camps operate in two categories: junior and senior camps."

In other violence Sunday, a gunman opened fire on a checkpoint in the southwest province of Ghazni, killing two policemen and wounding a bystander during an hour-long battle, provincial police chief Zerawar Zahid said.

In a separate attack in Ghazni, militants detonated a bicycle rigged with explosives outside the provincial police headquarters complex, wounding 13 civilians, according to provincial officials.The wounded included an 11-year-old girl and two young boys. They had light shrapnel wounds, said Dr. Mohammad Ismail Ibrahimzai, head of the Ghazni Provincial Hospital.

In the country's south, a suspected militant shot and killed an Afghan soldier at a checkpoint in Kandahar city, said deputy police chief Shershah Yousafzai.

In other violence in Kandahar, policemen receiving NATO-donated supplies including caps and protective eyewear drew guns and fought over the items, leaving one policeman dead and four wounded, said Arghandab district governor Shah Mohammad.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more.

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Six dead as Taliban offensive begins

A victim's body is carried through Ghazni, Afghanistan, after Sunday's attacks.A 12-year-old boy detonates a suicide bomb, killing three peopleTwo police officers are shot to deathThe Taliban said Saturday that it would not arm civilians in the offensive

(CNN) -- A 12-year-old suicide bomber killed three other people, including a district council head, and armed attackers shot to death two police officers Sunday, the first day of a Taliban spring offensive.

The attacks followed a Taliban declaration Saturday that its spring military operations will focus on attacks against military bases, airbases, convoys, heads of foreign and local companies, and members of the local government.

In Shaken district of Paktika province, the 12-year-old boy detonated explosives in his vest to kill district council head Shernawaz Khan and two others, said Mukhlis Afghan, a spokesman for the Paktika provincial governor.

The blast also wounded 12 people, Afghan said, adding: "The suicide attacker's aim was to target the district council chief."

In a separate attack, armed men opened fire on police in southern Ghazni province, killing two police officers, provincial police security commander Abdul Hassan said.

According to Hassan, two armed Taliban insurgents on a motorbike opened fire on police officers and then fled the area.

In its declaration Saturday, the Taliban warned that it also would target members of the High Peace Council, who are influential citizens trying to generate dialogue with the militants.

"All Afghan people should bear in mind to keep away from gatherings, convoys and centers of the enemy so that they will not become harmed during attacks of the Mujahedeen against the enemy," the statement said.

The Taliban said that "strict attention" must be paid to protecting civilians.

"Utilizing all proven military tactics, the operations will focus on usage of advanced weapons against the air and ground forces of the invaders, tip-and-run attacks, and group offensives, city attacks, advanced explosives attacks, effective group and martyrdom seeking attacks by warrior Mujahedeen," the statement said.

However, the deployment of a young suicide bomber Sunday appeared to contradict a Taliban statement that the insurgents intended to avoid using civilian attackers.

"I would like to announce that (the) Islamic Movement is committed to pay extra attention for not arming civilians during their operations on the enemy's targets across the country," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mojahed said in an e-mail to CNN.

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan had been sheltering the al Qaeda terror network when it launched attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. The United States cranked up military operations the next month that led to the toppling of that government.

Ever since, international forces have been fighting Islamic militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan and attempting to support and build the successor Afghan government.

The Taliban announcement comes a day after a NATO official said the alliance anticipates insurgents to begin an extensive round of attacks against U.S. and coalition forces "in the coming days."

The officer with NATO's International Security Assistance Force noted that the alliance has seen similar surges at this time in recent years.

The coalition feels that the increased attacks on insurgents have had an impact, and new attacks by insurgents signal their effort to recoup their losses, the officer said.

In a statement Saturday addressing the expected escalation in fighting, the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan urged all parties to avoid harming civilians.

Staffan de Mistura, head of the mission, called on the Taliban "to carry out their previously stated decision to avoid civilian casualties."

"Parties to the conflict must not deliberately attack, target or kill civilians, or indiscriminately harm them," said de Mistura, who was quoted in the statement. "We call on all parties to take all possible measures to protect civilians, especially in the forthcoming months when we expect, unfortunately, intensified conflict."

In the 90 days ending April 22, coalition special forces conducted 1,393 operations, capturing or killing 468 insurgent commanders, and capturing or killing 2,637 lower-level insurgents.

This all comes as the Pentagon released its latest report to Congress on the progress in Afghanistan. The military says gains made in Afghanistan over the last half year has created the "necessary conditions" to begin transferring control of security to the Afghanistan government in seven areas of the country inhabited by approximately 20% to 25% of the population.

The latest semi-annual report concludes that insurgent momentum has been halted in much of the country, though the gains are "fragile and reversible." However, the report notes that efforts to fortify government and development was "slower than security gains" over the last six months.

The total number of security incidents were higher from October 2010 through March 2011 compared with the same period of the winter of 2009-10, the report said. The report says this is mainly due to increased coalition and Afghan troop presence, which allowed for a higher pace of operations against insurgents' safe havens.

CNN's Adam Levine, Barbara Starr, Fazel Reshad, Matiullah Mati and Joe Sterling contributed to this report.

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Taliban announce beginning of spring offensive

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban on Saturday announced the beginning of their spring military offensive against the U.S.-led coalition, a day after a new Pentagon report claimed that the militants' fighting spirit was low after sustaining heavy losses on the battlefield.

In a two-page statement, the Taliban said that beginning Sunday they would launch attacks on military bases, convoys and Afghan officials, including members of the government's peace council, who are working to reconcile with top insurgent leaders.

"The war in our country will not come to an end unless and until the foreign invading forces pull out of Afghanistan," said the announcement released by the leadership council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which is what the Taliban calls itself.

Senior officers with the U.S.-led coalition said on Friday that the Taliban ? aided by the al-Qaida-linked Haqqani network ? have plans to conduct a brief series of high-profile attacks, such as suicide bombings, across the country in a display of power as fighting gears up with the warmer weather. The senior officers spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss recent intelligence that lead to the assessment.

Lt. Col. John Dorrian, a spokesman for the coalition, said the Taliban planned to use the spate of violence as a "propaganda ploy" to try to demonstrate their relevance and create the perception of momentum despite recent setbacks.

The Pentagon report said the insurgents' momentum had been "broadly arrested" and their morale had begun to erode. Hundreds of insurgent leaders have been killed or captured and since last July 700 former Taliban have officially reintegrated into Afghan society and another 2,000 insurgents are in various stages of the process, the report said.

The Taliban, known for their resiliency, said insurgents will target "foreign invading forces, members of their spy networks and other spies, high-ranking officials of the Kabul puppet administration ? and heads of foreign and local companies working for the enemy and contractors."

The Taliban ordered its fighters to pay "strict attention" to protecting civilians during the spring offensive. A recent U.N. report said about three-quarters of the estimated 2,777 civilians killed in Afghanistan last year died at the hands of insurgents, not international forces.

Also on Saturday, the coalition released initial findings of the April 27 attack at the Kabul airport where a veteran Afghan military pilot opened fire, killing eight U.S. troops and an American civilian contractor who had been training the nascent Afghan air force.

The shooting was the deadliest attack by a member of the Afghan security forces, or an insurgent impersonating them, on coalition troops or Afghan soldiers or policemen. Seven of the eight U.S. airmen killed were commissioned officers.

The gunman was severely wounded by gunfire and was bleeding heavily when he left the room where most, but not all, of the trainers were killed, according to a senior NATO official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is not complete. The gunman was found dead in another part of the building, he said.

The attack occurred at an Afghan facility, the air force headquarters, so the usual coalition weapons procedures would not have been in place and the trainers would have had their weapons ? with magazines in place ? in their possession, the official said.

The trainers would not have had to load their guns to defend themselves, he said. All the NATO trainers killed were armed at the time of the attack, he said.

According to the initial findings, the gunman appeared to be carrying two handguns.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, but the coalition said it has uncovered no evidence to suggest that the insurgency was behind it.

"At this point in the investigation, it appears that the gunman was acting alone," the coalition said. "Beyond that, no Taliban connection with the gunman has been discovered. However, the investigation is still ongoing and we have not conclusively ruled out that possibility."

Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi declined comment Saturday, saying the joint investigation by the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan and the Afghan government was still under way.

In a statement issued late Friday, the U.S. Defense Department identified those killed as:

•Lt. Col. Frank D. Bryant Jr., 37, of Knoxville, Tennessee.

•Maj. Philip D. Ambard, 44, of Edmonds, Washington.

•Maj. Jeffrey O. Ausborn, 41, of Gadsden, Alabama.

•Maj. David L. Brodeur, 34, of Auburn, Massachusetts.

•Maj. Raymond G. Estelle II, 40, of New Haven, Connecticut.

•Capt. Nathan J. Nylander, 35, of Hockley, Texas.

•Capt. Charles A. Ransom, 31, of Midlothian, Virginia.

•Master Sgt. Tara R. Brown, 33, of Deltona, Florida.

The civilian contractor was James McLaughlin Jr., 55, of Santa Rosa, California. McLaughlin was a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft pilot who spent 32 years in the Army before retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 2007. In recent years, he trained Afghan helicopter pilots as an employee of L-3 MPRI, a consulting company based in Alexandria, Virginia.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more.

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Taliban announce beginning of spring offensive

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban on Saturday announced the beginning of their spring military offensive against the U.S.-led coalition, a day after a new Pentagon report claimed that the militants' fighting spirit was low after sustaining heavy losses on the battlefield.

In a two-page statement, the Taliban said that beginning Sunday they would launch attacks on military bases, convoys and Afghan officials, including members of the government's peace council, who are working to reconcile with top insurgent leaders.

"The war in our country will not come to an end unless and until the foreign invading forces pull out of Afghanistan," said the announcement released by the leadership council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which is what the Taliban calls itself.

Senior officers with the U.S.-led coalition said on Friday that the Taliban ? aided by the al-Qaida-linked Haqqani network ? have plans to conduct a brief series of high-profile attacks, such as suicide bombings, across the country in a display of power as fighting gears up with the warmer weather. The senior officers spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss recent intelligence that lead to the assessment.

Lt. Col. John Dorrian, a spokesman for the coalition, said the Taliban planned to use the spate of violence as a "propaganda ploy" to try to demonstrate their relevance and create the perception of momentum despite recent setbacks.

The Pentagon report said the insurgents' momentum had been "broadly arrested" and their morale had begun to erode. Hundreds of insurgent leaders have been killed or captured and since last July 700 former Taliban have officially reintegrated into Afghan society and another 2,000 insurgents are in various stages of the process, the report said.

The Taliban, known for their resiliency, said insurgents will target "foreign invading forces, members of their spy networks and other spies, high-ranking officials of the Kabul puppet administration ? and heads of foreign and local companies working for the enemy and contractors."

The Taliban ordered its fighters to pay "strict attention" to protecting civilians during the spring offensive. A recent U.N. report said about three-quarters of the estimated 2,777 civilians killed in Afghanistan last year died at the hands of insurgents, not international forces.

Also on Saturday, the coalition released initial findings of the April 27 attack at the Kabul airport where a veteran Afghan military pilot opened fire, killing eight U.S. troops and an American civilian contractor who had been training the nascent Afghan air force.

The shooting was the deadliest attack by a member of the Afghan security forces, or an insurgent impersonating them, on coalition troops or Afghan soldiers or policemen. Seven of the eight U.S. airmen killed were commissioned officers.

The gunman was severely wounded by gunfire and was bleeding heavily when he left the room where most, but not all, of the trainers were killed, according to a senior NATO official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is not complete. The gunman was found dead in another part of the building, he said.

The attack occurred at an Afghan facility, the air force headquarters, so the usual coalition weapons procedures would not have been in place and the trainers would have had their weapons ? with magazines in place ? in their possession, the official said.

The trainers would not have had to load their guns to defend themselves, he said. All the NATO trainers killed were armed at the time of the attack, he said.

According to the initial findings, the gunman appeared to be carrying two handguns.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, but the coalition said it has uncovered no evidence to suggest that the insurgency was behind it.

"At this point in the investigation, it appears that the gunman was acting alone," the coalition said. "Beyond that, no Taliban connection with the gunman has been discovered. However, the investigation is still ongoing and we have not conclusively ruled out that possibility."

Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi declined comment Saturday, saying the joint investigation by the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan and the Afghan government was still under way.

In a statement issued late Friday, the U.S. Defense Department identified those killed as:

•Lt. Col. Frank D. Bryant Jr., 37, of Knoxville, Tennessee.

•Maj. Philip D. Ambard, 44, of Edmonds, Washington.

•Maj. Jeffrey O. Ausborn, 41, of Gadsden, Alabama.

•Maj. David L. Brodeur, 34, of Auburn, Massachusetts.

•Maj. Raymond G. Estelle II, 40, of New Haven, Connecticut.

•Capt. Nathan J. Nylander, 35, of Hockley, Texas.

•Capt. Charles A. Ransom, 31, of Midlothian, Virginia.

•Master Sgt. Tara R. Brown, 33, of Deltona, Florida.

The civilian contractor was James McLaughlin Jr., 55, of Santa Rosa, California. McLaughlin was a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft pilot who spent 32 years in the Army before retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 2007. In recent years, he trained Afghan helicopter pilots as an employee of L-3 MPRI, a consulting company based in Alexandria, Virginia.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more.

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Taliban announces spring offensive

The Taliban statement warns civilians to stay away from "centers of the enemy"An ISAF official says insurgents are expected to launch new attacks "in the coming days"Meanwhile, a Pentagon report says security can begin to be transferred to Afghans

Washington (CNN) -- The Taliban said Saturday it is launching a new offensive against foreign troops and Afghan security forces and will focus on military bases and convoys.

The Taliban statement, declaring its spring military operations, warned Afghans to stay away from "centers of the enemy."

The announcement comes a day after a NATO official told CNN that the alliance anticipates insurgents to begin an extensive new round of attacks against U.S. and coalition forces "in the coming days."

The officer with the International Security Assistance Force noted that the alliance has seen similar surges at this time in recent years.

"What basically they are trying to do is start their spring offensive, and they think by surging their forces and having a concentrated series of attacks that they can demonstrate their power and relevance and influence over the Afghan population."

ISAF feels the increased coalition attacks on insurgents have had an impact, and new attacks by insurgents signal their effort to recoup their losses.

"Over the past several months insurgents have suffered a number of setbacks, having been pushed out of key sanctuaries. They have lost more weapons caches than any previous year, and they have lost hundreds of insurgent commanders and thousands of fighters," the officer said.

In the 90 days ending April 22, coalition special forces conducted 1,393 operations, capturing or killing 468 insurgent commanders, and capturing or killing 2,637 lower-level insurgents.

In response to the latest intelligence, ISAF has "increased" measures to protect its forces as well as shared the intelligence with the Afghan government, the officer said.

The expectation is new attacks would continue to focus on the latest Taliban tactics of assassinations, small arms attacks and going after so-called "soft" targets of Afghan civilians. The officer also said the alliance is watching for more of the "impersonation and infiltration-type attacks that you have seen in the last several days."

He noted that the alliance remains uncertain if recent attacks by Afghans in military uniforms really are the work of impersonators loyal to the Taliban. ISAF is currently helping train 450 counterintelligence experts in the Afghan forces to help watch for such activity, a doubling of the current counterintelligence force.

This all comes as the Pentagon released its latest report to Congress on the progress in Afghanistan. The military says gains made in Afghanistan over the last half year has created the "necessary conditions" to begin transferring control of security to the Afghanistan government in seven areas of the country inhabited by approximately 20% to 25% of the population.

The latest semi-annual report concludes insurgent momentum has been halted in much of the country, though the gains are "fragile and reversible." However, the report notes that efforts to fortify government and development was "slower than security gains" over the last six months.

The total number of security incidents were higher from October 2010 through March 2011 compared to the same period of the winter of 2009-2010 the report said. The report says this is mainly due to increased ISAF and Afghan troop presence, which allowed for a higher pace of operations against insurgents safe havens.

CNN's Adam Levine contributed to this report.

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Southern California Republican Allegedly Sent Offensive Email to Obama

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LOS ANGELES -- A Southern California Republican Party official was under fire Saturday after allegations she sent an email that included an altered photo depicting President Barack Obama as an ape.

An e-mail reportedly sent by party central committee member Marilyn Davenport shows an image, posed like a family portrait, of chimpanzee parents and child, with Obama's face artificially superimposed on the child. Text beneath the photo reads, "Now you know why no birth certificate."

Davenport, when reached by The Associated Press, said she would provide a written statement with her response, but several hours later she had not issued one.

The alternative newspaper OC Weekly first reported the story, and was told by Davenport that the e-mail was "just an Internet joke." She also asked the Weekly, "You're not going to make a big deal about this are you?"

Republican Party of Orange County Chairman Scott Baugh told The Associated Press on Saturday that he wants an ethics investigation into the incident.

"It's just highly inappropriate, it's a despicable message, it drips with racism and I think she should step down from the committee," said Baugh.

Baugh said it could be several days before it's known whether the ethics committee will agree to investigate Davenport.

At the very least, Baugh said, Davenport should be apologizing for what she's done rather than attacking whoever leaked the email to media, referring to an email Davenport sent after the story broke calling on "the coward" who leaked the email to come forward.

Davenport, a tea party activist, represents the 72nd Assembly District in Orange County on the central committee.

She represents Brea, Placentia, Fullerton and portions of other Orange County cities to the county committee tasked with fundraising, campaigning and debating policy for the Republican Party.

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