Afghanistan: Now it's all-out war

[donsu]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/FB24Ag01.html

A massive land and air military operation on either side of the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is now under way, with the main goals of catching leading commanders of the Afghan resistance, as well as Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

-snip-

In the coming weeks, the operation is gradually expected to increase in intensity and size and spread to all seven of the Pakistani-administrated tribal areas, and subsequently to all major Afghan cities, including Jalalabad, Asadabad, Gardez, Khost, Zabul and Kandahar, in a bid to wipe out the Afghan resistance.

Well-placed sources stationed in South Waziristan's Wana told Asia Times Online of a large mobilization of Pakistani troops in the two agencies, adding that several villages situated on the border had been evacuated as there were fears that they would be caught in crossfire between Pakistani troops, guerrillas and US-led coalition troops on the Afghan side of the border.

-snip-

Across in Afghanistan, coalition troops are conducting house-to-house searches in the town of Khost and its outskirts. Many suspects (mostly bearded with black turbans) have been rounded up. The main targets of operations here are resistance leaders Jalaluddin Haqqani and Saifullah Mansoor and their followers, who are believed to number between 2,000 and 2,500, spread all over the Khost, Paktia, Paktika and Gardez areas.

Asia Times Online can confirm media reports in Pakistan that Pakistan has allowed the US to use some of its air bases for surveillance purposes, including Kohat and Bannu. Residents of North West Frontier Province are already witnessing flights of US "spy" planes over the region.
-snip-
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the article goes on to say that the Resistance was laying low but "One way or another, a big war looms in the region."

[Homer12]

1. I get it

Since Iraq is not all puppy dogs and flowers, start the war up in Afgahnastan again, get some big exploisions and deter from Iraq. It matters not if Osama is captured (they better hope they capture him?), it's all about the "show"

[historian]

2. bushie hasnt heard of the russians

The russians were bogged down in afghanistan for 10 yrs till they gave up. No-one has ever conquered Afghanistan and i doubt anyone will. I was there in the late 60's and the north is nothing but huge mountains, valleys and caves. The afghans can move around rapidly with very little food to sustain them (they are used to it) whereas the american soldier is burdened with with arms and rations and a heavy uniform. I doubt whether the average soldier, who hasnt been trained specifically, could last long under the grueling conditions of the area. Besides, there is the minor problem of breathing - at those heights oxygen is extremly thin.

[Az_lefty]

3. Must Be

an election year......:kick:

[BigDaddyLove]

4. This is not surprising, considering that the 'war' that we engaged..

in hasn't ever really ended. Things have only gotten progressively worse since we 'ousted' the Taliban.