WASHINGTON — In an unusual public criticism, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he believes NATO forces currently deployed in southern Afghanistan do not know how to combat a guerrilla insurgency, a deficiency that could be contributing to the rising violence in the fight against the Taliban.

TEHRAN (FNA) A visiting Afghan official Tuesday night described Iran’s investments in his country as vital.

TEHRAN (FNA) Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Muhammad al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah said relations between Iran and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) states have entered a new era following presence by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the recent PGCC summit in Doha, Qatar.