KABUL , Afghanistan ( CNN ) -- The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan said roadside bombs have doubled and kidnapping have increased over the last year in the war-torn country , but said the cultivation of opium poppies that is used to produce heroin has declined . Roadside bombings in Afghanistan doubled to 2,000 in 2008 , according to the U.S. ambassador in Kabul . William Wood , speaking to journalists at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul , gave an assessment of trends over the last year in the country and expectations for the upcoming year . `` 2008 was a good year but it was also a hard year , '' he said . He said there were 1,000 improvised explosive device blasts in 2007 and 2,000 this year . `` IEDs do n't advance the terrorist cause at all . They do n't win them any territory , they do n't win them any friends , '' he said , `` all they do is prove the presence and brutality of the terrorists . '' Also , he said there were 130 reported kidnappings in 2007 and 250 in 2008 , but it is thought that there have been many unreported abductions . The increase in IEDs have occurred mostly in eastern and southern Afghanistan , where there been an uptick in attacks . President-elect Barack Obama has said that he will shift his focus to Afghanistan , where the Taliban militant movement has been resurgent and where international troop deaths have increased in recent months . Concerned over the increase in fighting , military officials have said up to 30,000 additional U.S. troops could be sent to Afghanistan next year , nearly doubling the level of American troops there . Wood pointed to progress in combating the narcotics trade , which helps fund militant activity . He said there has been a nearly 20 percent decline in processing and cultivation of opium , pointing out that the local and international entities helped bring about the drop . He said that the nascent democracy has been energized by upcoming elections , the improved performance of provincial governors , and the resilient backing of Afghanistan by the international community . He said there will be a focus on combating government corruption in 2009 , underscoring President Hamid Karzai 's determination to confront the problem . Wood said he anticipates `` free and fair '' upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections , with three million voters already registered . The International Foundation for Election Systems , which helps countries run democratic elections , says there will be presidential elections in next year and parliamentary elections are expected in 2010 . The ambassador notes that the Afghan National Army is growing by 2,500 soldiers a month and he expects it to double in size by 2012 . He said the Afghan National Police is looking to add specialized elements , such as anti-kidnapping and counter-narcotics units . Wood said the United States is backing an initiative by Karzai to help villages without international or local armies to protect them , a move that would help Afghans protect themselves and develop the confidence to do so . But he emphasized that the United States has no intention to provide these communities with weaponry .
Roadside bombings doubled , kidnappings rose in Afghanistan in past year . U.S. ambassador says cultivation of opium poppies used for heroin declined . U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama has vowed to tackle resurgent Taliban . Comment: