in contrast to

the usually

upbeat

assessments from the military.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has announced his country will go ahead with a plan to buy 36 F-16 fighter jets from the United States. Sebastian Usher reports.

Iraq has

blown hot and cold

over a possible multibillion-dollar deal to buy F-16s from the US. The aim ostensibly is to protect Iraqi airspace and revive its enfeebled air force. Iraq put the original deal on hold in order to use the funds to buy basic food stuffs instead, but Iraq's coffers have apparently been

boost

ed by soaring oil prices since then. With US troops due to withdraw shortly, Mr Maliki has now revived the F-16 deal as part of Iraq's efforts to show it's moving towards military self-sufficiency.

Afghan intelligence officials say they've arrested an army officer who's suspected of working for the Taliban. He's accused of helping plan future suicide bombings in Kabul. Here's Jill McGivering.

Afghan intelligence sources named the army officer as Gul Mohammed but didn't

reveal

his rank. They say he was in contact with Taliban commanders, making arrangements for them to bring fighters into Kabul and to plan future attacks, including suicide bombings, on government targets there. One report suggests he was

in charge of

several road checkpoints around the capital, which were a key part of security defences. Officials say he was promised money by the Taliban in return for his help.