US-led forces clash with militants in Afghanistan

[NNN0LHI]

This is exactly what the Afghans did to the Russians for a decade until they left. It started slow with small probing type attacks until they figured out what worked against the Russians. They are doing the same thing again this time. The Afghans will keep this up until they figure out what works well. They are in no hurry either, as they are not going anywhere. Don

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL15539.htm

BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Oct 13 (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces returned fire and called in air strikes after coming under rocket-grenade and small-arms fire in eastern Afghanistan at the weekend, the U.S. military said on Monday.

The Saturday night skirmish near the U.S. base at Asadabad near the border with Pakistan lasted about two hours, but there were no casualties among U.S.-led forces, U.S. spokesman Major Richard Sater told a news briefing. snip

The 11,500-strong U.S.-led force in Afghanistan has come under frequent attack by suspected Islamic militants in outlying provinces since the overthrow of the Taliban in late 2001, but most attacks cause no casualties.

On Saturday, a soldier from the force was slightly hurt in a gun battle with three fighters on the outskirts of Kabul. The U.S. military said two attackers were captured in this incident.

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[Minstrel Boy]

1. I used to think Iraq would be America's Afghanistan,

but now I think it's going to be Afghanistan.

Though one difference is the US has managed to largely subcontract the occupation to traditional allies which wouldn't commit troops to Iraq, such as Canada and Germany. But how long will that be true?