Taliban take town that British left in October

A rocky turn for the British peace deal that some have said "should not be replicated. . .":

Militants 'overrun Afghan town'
KABUL, Feb 2(AP) -- Hundreds of Taliban militants overran a southern Afghan town that British troops left after a contentious peace agreement in October, destroying the government center and temporarily holding elders hostage, officials and residents said Friday.

The assault, days after a Taliban commander was killed outside the town of Musa Qala, raises doubts about the future of the peace deal, which has been criticized by some Western officials as a NATO retreat in hostile Taliban territory. MORE

• New development, Feb 5: "NATO forces launched an offensive to retake the town, killing the local Taliban chief in an air strike on Sunday"

Two residents of Musa Qala estimated that between 200 and 300 Taliban fighters had overtaken the town. They said the fighters took weapons from the police on Wednesday and destroyed the town's government center late Thursday. . .

A senior Western official in Kabul recently criticized the Musa Qala deal, saying "it should not be replicated," following suggestions that the deal was reached with pro-Taliban village elders.

The official acknowleded that the Afghan government had largely lacked control of Musa Qala, "but there is a difference between not having it, and excluding it by government deal." The official spoke only on condition he of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the subject.

However, Mark Laity, a NATO spokesman in Afghanistan, defended the deal.

"We recognize that there are risks in this, we believe that tribal elders need to be given a chance to produce a local solution to a local problem which fits with the culture of the Afghan people and has the support of the government of Afghanistan," Laity told reporters last week.

Laity at the time said there were "clear signs" the deal was a success, "but the final judgment is yet to be made.". . .