NBC News reports that “the U.S. general in charge of the war in Afghanistan is very concerned about casualty rates among Afghan Security Forces, and he says some of the fault lies directly with the Afghan leadership.”

“‘We are very concerned about the casualty rate,’ Army General John Nicholson said Sunday, explaining that last year the Afghans suffered high casualties and this year it has been ‘the same or slightly higher.'”

“‘One of the principle factors for the high casualties has been the leadership, the failures of leadership at certain levels. Primarily this has been in the police and to a lesser extent in the (Afghan) army,’ Nicholson said.”