March 10, 2002

"Terrible weather" slows attack on al Qaeda
By Charles Aldinger

Saturday March 9, 2:15 AM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - "Terrible weather" in eastern Afghanistan on Friday slowed a U.S.-led military assault on trapped and fiercely resisting al Qaeda
forces, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said.

He said winter conditions in the high mountains near Gardez were limiting air strikes by U.S. warplanes to satellite-guided bombs and preventing AC-130 flying
gunships from using 105mm cannon and 40mm machine guns against entrenched guerrillas.

Other defence officials said the harsh winter also was keeping U.S. attack helicopters temporarily out of the battle.

Rumsfeld appeared in television interviews to back away from a prediction made on Thursday that a week-long assault by more than 2,000 U.S.-led troops on
hundreds of guerrillas might be over as early as this weekend.

But he expressed confidence that it could end in days.

"It looked to me like it would be days, meaning seven, eight, 10 as opposed to weeks or months," he said in response to questions on Fox television about a
prediction made earlier to Pentagon workers.

"The weather is just terrible so that a lot of our air assets are not able to fly. But my guess is that over the coming period of some days ... it will wind down" Rumsfeld
said on Friday.

"No. These things are not predictable," he responded when asked in a CNN interview if the assault led by American troops on a stronghold of regrouping al Qaeda
and Taliban was all but over.

"There are still any number of al Qaeda and probably Taliban located in those caves and tunnels and in very well-entrenched positions. They have got a lot of
ammunition," Rumsfeld added.

But he said the al Qaeda and Taliban remained surrounded and "I don't believe they are getting reinforcements or supplies."

In Afghanistan, the U.S. military said on Friday al Qaeda's resistance was faltering after nearly a week of fierce fighting, with coalition forces gaining the higher
ground.

With the battle in its seventh day, the U.S. military said a large number of al Qaeda fighters were killed in overnight battles and routes used by rebel reinforcements
were being cut off. They were showing no signs of giving up.

"Right now the mortar fire is not that accurate because we command a lot of the OPs (observation points) that they used to command," Army Col. Frank Wiercinski
of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division told reporters at Bagram Air Base, north of the Afghan capital Kabul.


Al Qaeda resistance wanes as U.S. takes high ground
By Christine Hauser and Stuart Grudgings

Saturday March 9, 12:42 AM

GARDEZ/BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Friday al Qaeda's resistance was faltering after nearly a week of fierce fighting
in freezing Afghan mountains, with coalition forces gaining the higher ground.

With the battle in its seventh day, the U.S. military said a large number of al Qaeda fighters were killed in overnight battles and routes used by rebel reinforcements
were being cut off. But the enemy was showing no signs of giving up.

"Right now the mortar fire is not that accurate because we command a lot of the OPs (observation points) that they used to command," Frank Wiercinski, a colonel
with the 101st Airborne Division, told reporters at Bagram Air Base, north of the Afghan capital Kabul.

He said no enemy fighters had surrendered during the largest U.S.-led ground offensive of the Afghan war, suggesting a hardened core of al Qaeda followers was
intent on fighting to the death from their caves and bunkers.

As more bad weather closed in on the mountain battlefield, an Afghan Defence Ministry official said on Friday a 1,000- strong Afghan force loyal to interim leader
Hamid Karzai and backed by 10 tanks was on its way to the eastern city of Gardez.

The reinforcements will double the size of the Afghan force fighting the rebels around the valley of Shahi Kot that is near Gardez and close to the Pakistan border.

Wiercinski said coalition forces were also concentrating on cutting off al Qaeda reinforcements, who managed to join the battle in the first few days, apparently by
travelling in small groups through mountain passes.

Afghan forces have formed an outer ring around the area to seal off such routes, while U.S. and other allied soldiers close in on the al Qaeda positions.

"We have identified many of those routes now and cut them off," Wiercinski said.

BAD WEATHER

Earlier on Friday, U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Joe Smith said there were "lots of al Qaeda casualties" during night fighting.

Despite days of bombing from the air and fierce ground assaults, the rebels were standing firm, Smith told reporters at Bagram air base, the main controlling point for
the battle that is taking place about 150 km (85 miles) south of Kabul.

He said the military had anticipated the snow and bad weather at present covering the 10 km (six-mile) frontline but gave no details on how badly it had affected
operations on the battlefront more than 30 km (20 miles) from Gardez.

Operation Anaconda, the biggest U.S.-led ground offensive of the five-month Afghan war, involves more than 2,000 U.S., Afghan and other allied troops against
more than 1,000 rebel forces holed up in 3,000 metre (10,000 feet) mountains.

It was launched last Saturday to wipe out a major hideout of the Taliban and al Qaeda, the network of Osama bin Laden, chief suspect in the September 11 attacks
on the United States.

The U.S. military says eight American soldiers and seven Afghan troops have already died in the battle and there have been about 100 wounded in the week-long
fighting.

The military on Friday awarded Purple Hearts to six soldiers wounded during an assault on al Qaeda strongholds.

The ceremony at Bagram honoured five soldiers from a company pinned down by heavy fire from al Qaeda positions, and an "Apache" helicopter pilot struck by a
ricocheting bullet while supporting ground troops.

The five soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division were part of a group that found itself in an 18-hour firefight after landing in the freezing combat zone last weekend.
Around a quarter of the 80 men in the group were wounded, some seriously.

"THEY FIGHT HARD"

The military now believes there are few Taliban in the mountains near Gardez, saying the fighters are mainly foreign professional troops from al Qaeda.

"This pocket is almost exclusively hardline al Qaeda," Smith said on Friday. "They are highly trained, they are in their mid-30s, they're in excellent shape and they
fight hard."

"This hardened enemy is the same type of people that executed the events of 11th September. It is obvious from documentation we've been getting that they are not
just peasants," he said, adding some of the rebels had advanced training manuals on how to shoot down a helicopter.

Allied Afghan soldiers said there were Arabs, Chechens, Pakistanis, Kashmiri and maybe even disillusioned Muslims from the United States and other Western
nations among their foes.

"They are ready for martyrdom and will die to the last man," Afghan commander Abdul Muteen said.

"Taliban and al-Qaeda forces are well aware that there is going to be no end to this war but by death, but they are still putting up fierce resistance," said Commander
Mohammad Ismail, who is in charge of a unit of men poised to reinforce Shahi Kot.

"It is not like a battle along a frontline, but more like a guerrilla war, where they jump out of the caves from time to time opening fire with heavy machine guns trying
to find our weaknesses," Ismail said.


Deployment against al-Qaeda a symbol of Afghan government's authority

Friday March 8, 8:45 PM

Afghanistan's interim government has for the first time sent its own troops to help the US-led coalition battling al-Qaeda and Taliban extremists, but the motivation
seems to be more political symbolism than military strategy.

In sending nine aging Russian tanks and 1,000 men to the frontline in eastern Paktia province, Hamid Karzai's government is showing itself as a partner of the United
States, whose air power helped the Northern Alliance sweep into Kabul last year and rout the Taliban regime.

The interim government, which is dominated by the Northern Alliance, is also demonstrating it has a veritable army, one of the most visible symbols of sovereignty.

As the army convoy rumbled south Friday, the force's commander General Gul Haidar took pains to emphasize the army was multi-ethnic and included Pashtuns,
who formed the bulwark of the Taliban.

"Now there are no more differences between Tajiks and Pashtuns. We're all united against al-Qaeda; we are the national army," he told AFP.

Hundreds of Afghans have already been fighting in Operation Anaconda in the snow-capped Arma mountains, but they have been trained, equipped and paid by the
US military.

The battle has been the deadliest for the United States since the Afghan military campaign began on October 7. Eight US servicemen have died, while at least three
allied Afghans have also been killed.

Haidar, the defense ministry's official for the southern zone, said the national forces were not trained by, or on the payroll of, Washington.

"Our mujahedin are experienced in mountain battle. The Taliban and al-Qaeda forces aren't strong and they have no way to escape," Haidar said.

The deployed tanks belonged to the Northern Alliance and are operated by Tajiks from the Panjshir valley north of Kabul. But they will be entering an area
dominated by the Pashtuns, with whom they have had sour relations in the past.

Afghan Defense Minister Mohammad Qasim Fahim called for the force Wednesday at a meeting in Kabul of warlords on the new national army.

The army's first battalion, with soldiers hailing from diverse regions of Afghanistan, began training late last month under the eye of international advisers. The United
States and its allies believe a multi-ethnic army is paramount to ensuring security in Afghanistan after 23 years of war.

But following Haidar en route to Paktia province was a ragtag contingent of 150 fighters, who followed the tanks on foot. They were armed mostly with light
weapons, and some lacked even uniforms.

In Gardez, one local commander battling with the US-led coalition criticized the deployment of northern fighters.

"We don't need any reinforcements," quipped Ismael (eds: one name), who said he had hundreds of US-equipped fighters under his orders.

"The Americans give strong air support, so of what use would those tanks be?"

The deployment could be motivated by domestic considerations, to protect residents of Gardez as al-Qaeda gets battered by more than 1,000 troops from the
United States and allied countries, many of them elite forces.

Internal politics could also be at play, with the interim government keen to exert its control over the restive province.

The Kabul-appointed governor of Paktia, Taj Mohammad Wardak, who holds little control in parts of the mountainous province, requested the national troops.

The man passed over for the governor's office, Padsha Khan, has made clear he wants the job he had originally been promised and is prepared to fight for it.

While the two warlords are on the same side in the fight against al-Qaeda, Khan at the end of January sent his men into Gardez in an attempt to take the
governorship by force.

His troops were repulsed in fighting with another local warlord which left about 50 people dead.

But on the road to Paktia, the interim government's soldiers offered a straightforward analysis for their deployment.

"We are going to smash the last terrorists and defend Afghanistan," said one of the troops.


China to ask Afghan government to repatriate separatists
By Tamora Vidaillet

Friday March 8, 7:49 PM

BEIJING (Reuters) - China plans to ask Afghanistan's interim government to repatriate Chinese Muslim Uighurs found fighting alongside Taliban forces, a senior
official from the northwestern region of Xinjiang said on Friday.

An unspecified number of Muslim separatists seeking an independent state in Xinjiang had tried to sneak back into China, Xinjiang governor Ablat Abdureshit told a
news conference.

"They are not large in number. Some of them have tried to infiltrate back into China and some of them have been captured," he said during an annual two-week
session of the National People's Congress or parliament.

"Some of them have been left in Afghanistan."

Asked whether China would ask the interim Afghan government to return the Chinese nationals, he said: "We will launch a request for their extradition back to
China."

Abdureshit declined to say how many Uighurs had been captured crossing back into Xinjiang from Afghanistan and said it was too early to say whether the number
of Uighurs still in Afghanistan numbered in the dozens or hundreds.

In December, a senior U.S. official said Uighurs had been caught in Afghanistan but that the United States would not hand them over to Beijing due to differing
interpretations of what constitutes a terrorist.

China has backed the U.S.-war on terrorism but wants international support for its campaign against Muslim Uighur activists in Xinjiang. The militants are seeking an
independent state of East Turkestan.

Abdureshit said China welcomed U.S. military presence in neighbouring Afghanistan given Beijing's support for the battle against terrorism.

China has blamed Uighurs for more than 200 violent incidents between 1990 and 2001 in Xinjiang and says Osama bin Laden, chief suspect for the September 11
attacks, provided financial and material aid to them.

STEPPED UP

Abdureshit said the nature of separatism in Xinjiang had not changed in the wake of the September 11 attacks and that China was conducting an extensive education
campaign to make Uighurs more patriotic.

No major violent acts had been committed by Uighurs in the past year but separatist activities still occurred every day in Xinjiang, he said without elaborating.

China has strengthened its security forces to fight a perceived rise in terror threats following the September 11 attacks, the China Daily newspaper said on Friday.

Special anti-terror and anti-hijacking units had been set up in all of China's 31 provincial capitals and mobile anti-terror forces had been created in areas "under
heavy threat from possible terrorist attacks," senior police officer Liu Hongjun was quoted as saying.

An annual global human rights report issued by the U.S. State Department this week said China had intensified its crackdown on some religious groups in 2001 and
used the war on terrorism to justify a campaign against Uighur separatists.

China has blasted the report and told Washington not to hold double standards in the war on terrorism.


Robinson calls for more foreign troops as Afghan women celebrate

Friday March 8, 7:21 PM

UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson called for more international troops to secure Afghanistan as local women celebrated the first International
Women's Day since the fall of the Taliban.

"This was an incredible celebration which was led by Afghan women who have suffered so much but also want to contribute now to the new Afghanistan," Robinson
said after a ceremony attended by interim cabinet leader Hamid Karzai, Women's Affairs Minister Sima Samar and women community leaders.

"It was a joy for those of us who came from outside to be here but the day belongs to the women of Afghanistan."

Robinson said women's rights had improved since the fall of the Taliban, the hardline Islamic regime which banned women from most work and education during its
five-year rule from 1996 until November last year.

"Before on International Women's Day, we reflected sadly on the terrible situation of the women here," she said.

"Now their voices are so positive. They are determined to make a new future. I think it's wonderful."

However Robinson said women had repeatedly expressed concerns about security, not only in the Afghan capital where some 4,000 mainly European troops have
been deployed for nearly three months, but also in restive provinces where rival warlords continue to hold power.

"I think that the international force that is here must be extended beyond Kabul," she said, echoing calls from Karzai and prominent Afghan women.

"That's very clear when you are here. You cannot have the rebuilding of a whole society and security for human rights if you have violence, if you have killings, if you
have robberies, if you have looting and if you have women terrified and feeling as though nothing has changed."

Robinson referred to the reported widespread abuse and harassment of Pashtun communities in northern Afghanistan at the hands of rival ethnic militias loyal to
senior members of Karzai's interim cabinet.

In a report released Sunday, Human Rights Watch said thousands of Pashtuns were being forced to leave their villages due to an "ongoing campaign of violence and
intimidation" that included sexual abuse.

Robinson welcomed moves by Karzai to investigate the extent of the harassment but called on the interim cabinet to do more to protect the rights of innocent women
and children around the country.

"It must be controlled and it must not be allowed to take place," she said.

Robinson also said the development of a "disciplined" army and police force under the command of a representative government in Kabul was essential to protect
women's rights.

Earlier Friday hundreds of women gathered at the Women's Affairs Ministry to celebrate International Women's Day.

Some remembered the dark years of Taliban rule, when women were subjected to gross human rights abuses in the name of "Islamic" law, while others focused on
the future and the challenges facing the war-ravaged country.

Fahima Omar told AFP how she worked covertly for the United Nations during the Taliban years, and the joy she felt now that she could openly discuss human
rights and the reconstruction of the country.

"I can go to the office. I can walk on the street and catch a taxi. I feel freedom now to talk and say what I think," she said.

"But we want more change. We have lost so much but now we have a lot of work to do, especially in education and health."


More Afghans head to front line in eastern mountains

Friday March 8, 4:12 PM

A convoy sent by Afghanistan's defence ministry that included nine heavy tanks was seen heading Friday toward Paktia province, where US-led forces are battling
al-Qaeda.

The convoy, including some 150 men on foot, was heading south from Kabul through the village of Mohammad Agha in Logar province, about 40 kilometers (25
miles) from Paktia's capital Gardez.

"We're going to Gardez to crush Osama bin Laden's supporters. Our mujahedin are experienced in mountain battle. The Taliban and al-Qaeda forces aren't strong
and they have no way to escape," General Gul Haidar told AFP here on Friday.

"We want them to lay down their arms if they are Afghans and to hand over their foreign fighters. If not, we'll crush them," he said.

Haidar, the defence ministry's official for Afghanistan's southern zone, stressed that the deployment -- the first time the interim government has sent forces on behalf
of the international coalition -- was made up of troops from Afghanistan's various ethnic groups, although most troops seen on the road were ethnic Tajiks.

"Now there are no more differences between Tajiks and Pashtuns. We're all united against al-Qaeda; we are the national army," he said.

Pashtuns formed the bulwark of the ousted Taliban militia that allowed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, a Saudi dissident who allegedly masterminded the
September 11 attacks on the United States, to stay as its "guest".

Haider thought the al-Qaeda fighters may be reinforced from lawless areas in neighboring Pakistan but said he would know for sure once he reached Gardez.

Afghanistan's interim government said Thursday it was sending 1,000 heavily armed reinforcements to Paktia, where US-led forces Saturday launched Operation
Anaconda to smash an al-Qaeda base in the rugged Arma mountains.

Hundreds of Afghans, many under the command of warlord Zia Lodin, are already fighting in Paktia alongside more than 1,000 US troops and some 200
commandos from allied nations, according to the US military.

Eight US servicemen have been killed in Operation Anaconda, named after the snake that encircles and crushes its prey, in the deadliest operation for the
international coalition since the Afghan military campaign began October 7.

Paktia has also been the scene of fighting between rival tribal warlords over interim leader Hamid Karzai's choice of governor, and the Kabul administration is keen
to assert its control over the area.

The troop deployment was requested by provincial Governor Taj Mohammad Wardak, whose forces have clashed with rival warlord Padsha Khan. Both men's
troops have allied themselves with the US-led coalition.


Afghan troops join US forces in offensive against al-Qaeda remnants

Friday March 8, 4:03 PM(AFP)

Heavily armed US troops backed by 1,000 Afghan forces poured into eastern Afghanistan to step up the battle against die-hard al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters holed
up in the mountains.

Soldiers wounded in the fighting said US troops found themselves under intense fire from the start of the biggest US combat operation of the Afghan war, facing a
larger, more formidable al-Qaeda foe than US intelligence had anticipated.

As fierce fighting raged on in Paktia province for a sixth day, the Afghan defense ministry in Kabul announced it had sent 1,000 troops to the front after US
commanders ordered hundreds more troops and attack helicopters sent in.

Afghan armored vehicles, including six tanks, were seen late Thursday heading to the front lines in Paktia province.

B-52s and other warplanes have kept up round-the-clock strikes against al-Qaeda positions in the rugged Arma mountains, which interim Afghan leader Hamid
Karzai called "the last isolated base of terrorists" in the country.

The US-led forces killed more than 100 suspected al-Qaeda fighters in the ground and air attacks Wednesday, according to a US military spokesman at Bagram air
base.

Operation commander Major General Frank Hagenbeck had said Wednesday afternoon that at least half of the 600 to 700 al-Qaeda fighters thought to be holed up
had been killed.

The freshly resupplied US, Afghan and allied forces continued to push south from the village of Sirkankel, 15 kilometers (9.5 miles) south of Gardez, into one of the
militant group's last remaining strongholds in Afghanistan, US Army Major Bryan Hilferty said.

He said the coalition forces had taken some al-Qaeda fighters prisoner, but he did not know how many.

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in Washington that the US-led assault on the al-Qaeda stronghold could be over as early as this weekend, but he said
al-Qaeda fighters have shown no inclination to surrender and appeared to be well supplied.

"I would think it would end sometime this weekend or next week, but one can't be sure," Rumsfeld said, referring to Operation Anaconda, named after the snake
that encircles and crushes its prey.

Eight US servicemen have been killed and about 50 wounded in fierce fighting in the operation, which is the deadliest battle for US forces since the military campaign
began on October 7 to rid Afghanistan of the extremist Taliban regime and the al-Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden.

Army General Tommy Franks, commander of the US military campaign in Afghanistan, said 200 to 300 more US troops have been moved into the battle zone, a
155-square-kilometer (62-square-mile) area where more than 2,000 US, Afghan and coalition troops are battling dug-in al-Qaeda fighters believed to come from
places including Uzbekistan and Chechnya.

Some 950 US ground or Special Forces troops are fighting the militants in the snow-capped mountains, along with 200 commandos from Australia, Canada,
Denmark, Germany and Norway and hundreds of allied Afghan fighters.

But the exiled king of Afghanistan denounced the US-led war in his country as "stupid and useless" in an interview with the Italian daily La Stampa published
Thursday.

Mohammed Zahir Shah, 87, who is due to return in two weeks for a meeting of tribal elders to decide the future of the war-torn nation, told the paper the campaign
"is a stupid and useless war, and it would be better to stop it immediately."

Meanwhile in Manila, a rebel leader warned Friday that the chances of armed contact between the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and US Special
Forces troops advising Philippine soldiers are growing by the day.

The 160 US soldiers are engaged in six months of exercises to bolster the capability of both forces in fighting terrorism, specifically against Abu Sayyaf Muslim
guerrillas allegedly linked to al-Qaeda.

But Mohamad Murad, the MILF's top military commander, said that as US and Philippine troops spread out across the southern island of Basilan, they could
encroach on what the MILF considers its territory.

In Yemen, about 400 US troops and CIA agents are hunting down suspected combatants from the al-Qaeda network who infiltrated the Arab country from
Afghanistan, the Al-Hayat newspaper reported Thursday.

The London-based daily, quoting diplomatic sources, said the US forces were equipped with aerial reconnaissance drones and other surveillance equipment and
were operating alongside Yemeni authorities.

And in Washington, the White House said Thursday that President George W. Bush will welcome British Prime Minister Tony Blair to his ranch in Crawford, Texas,
from April 5 to 7 for talks expected to focus on the war on terrorism.

In late February, the British weekly The Observer said the summit aimed to determine the allies' next move in the war on terror, with possible military action against
Iraq topping the agenda.

US set for final Afghan push

US-led forces face more days of fighting (BBC)

American officials say US-led forces are preparing for a final push in their offensive to rout suspected al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters from mountain caves and
bunkers. Driving snow and high winds in eastern Afghanistan have slowed Operation Anaconda, which began eight days ago. But US military spokesman Major
Bryan Hilferty said the bad weather could work to the Americans' advantage, making life difficult for fighters dug in high up in the mountains. The fighting has been
some of the fiercest since October

To help defeat the militants, the Afghan defence ministry has been sending reinforcements to the region to await further orders. Major Hilferty, while admitting that
al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters are "hunkered down", said the US-led forces were ready to go after the militants. "When we find them, we will go and we will either
make them surrender or we will kill them," he said. "We're going to search the caves, we're going to search the entire area." 'Dangerous missions' However, US
Vice-President Dick Cheney has admitted that the bad weather means it could take up to 10 more days to dislodge the al-Qaeda and Taleban forces.

President George W Bush warned on Friday that the battle would not be the last fought by US forces conducting the war on terror in Afghanistan. "It is a sign of
what is going to happen for a while," the US leader said during a visit to Florida, adding that "dangerous missions" still lay ahead. Hundreds of entrenched militants
are said to have been killed in the assault, which has seen some of the heaviest fighting of the Afghan campaign. At least eight American and seven Afghan
Government soldiers have been killed.

Afghan reinforcements have been heading south towards the city of Gardez along with tanks and heavy artillery. About 2,000 US and Afghan troops along with
special forces from various countries are already in the battle zone. US officials say the militants, who are said to include Chechens, Pakistanis and Uzbeks, are
completely surrounded. But Afghan commanders have warned they could still slip away under cover of the snow.

The US-led military campaign began after Afghanistan's then Taleban government refused to hand over its ally, al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, who is accused
of masterminding the 11 September attacks on New York and Washington.
WATCH/LISTEN

ON THIS STORY

The BBC's Adam Brookes
"There is no sign that the Taleban and al-Qaeda are going to give up"

Al-Qaeda fighters not ready to surrender

Last Updated Sat, 09 Mar 2002 10:46:07

GARDEZ, AFGHANISTAN - Coalition forces sent about 1,000 fresh troops into the Gardez area of eastern Afghanistan Friday in an effort to finish off al-Qaeda
holdouts dug into the surrounding mountains.

INDEPTH: Target Terrorism

But as Operation Anaconda entered its second week Friday, coalition commanders said none of the guerrillas seem prepared to surrender. In Washington, U.S.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said it could be another 10 days before the the last pockets of resistance are finally silenced.

U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
So far, U.S. estimates of the number of enemy dead have been vague, ranging from "lots" to 600. Eight U.S. servicemen and three Afghan soldiers have been killed
in the operation, and scores wounded.

The exact number of holdouts has also been difficult to pin down. Initial estimates put al-Qaeda strength at about 150, but it soon became clear that their numbers
were swelling as sympathizers streamed in from Pakistan and other parts of Afghanistan to help the guerrillas.

U.S. commanders now believe that as many as 1,000 al-Qaeda fighters have taken part in the battle.

The U.S. says it has now plugged those leaks. Still, the weather was worsening on Friday, with high winds and snow swirling around the mountainous, 60-square
kilometre battle area, and Afghan commanders were warning that al-Qaeda fighters could use those conditions to slip out of – or into – the noose coalition forces
say they've put around the guerrillas' strongholds.

As of Friday, one U.S. commander on the ground said only about 200 enemy soldiers were still alive. But it is now evident those diehards are not the ragged, poorly
armed peasants that initial intelligence reports described. Col. Joe Smith, who heads the U.S. 10th Mountain Division, said the guerrillas are highly trained, highly
motivated, and very well armed professional soldiers.

The task of rooting them out became even harder as the weather closed in Friday, grounding the air strikes which have so far been the coalition's most effective
weapon and opening the way for much more risky ground assaults on the fortified al-Qaeda positions.

Reporters near Gardez said Friday they watched columns of Afghan soldiers on the road headed toward the battle area, accompanied by rocket launchers and at
least a dozen tanks – the first to be used during the war's biggest battle so far.

As coalition forces wait out the weather and prepare for a ground assault, U.S. commanders say they're taking some solace in the knowledge that they now hold the
high ground surrounding the al-Qaeda positions.

But no one is saying when that assault could take place.

In Florida, U.S. President George Bush said U.S. forces are in no hurry, and realize that the battle around Gardez will not be the last one they have to fight in
Afghanistan.

Ricardo Miranda

Meanwhile, three wounded members of the 10th Mountain Division spoke to reporters at a base in Landstuhl, Germany, where they are recuperating.

They painted a graphic picture of their battle on March 2, when hundreds of Afghan and U.S. troops came under heavy fire in the remote Shah-e-Kot mountains.

Wayne Stanton, 20, a soldier from Rockwood, Tennessee, said they could hear the fighters laugh at them every time the coalition forces took a shot.

The U.S. and Afghan soliders were hit by bullets and mortars fired by enemy fighters from the caves and ridges.

"We're fighting in their backyard," added Ricardo Miranda, 20, of Salinas, Calif., whose right arm and left leg were heavily bandaged. "They know where every
crack in that mountain is, every cubbyhole, every cave."

Saturday, 9 March, 2002, 11:16 GMT
A day for women: What will it achieve?

The United Nations' International Women's Day (IWD) this year focuses on the plight of women in Afghanistan.
One of the main events is the gathering in Kabul of 800 women from all over the country.

According to the United Nations, only about 3% of girls received some form of primary education during the Taleban's rule. Afghanistan still has the second highest
maternal mortality rate in the world.

Afghan women have also suffered domestic and other types of violence for the past 25 years, not just under the Taleban.

The worldwide awareness day includes events such as: America's First Lady Laura Bush addressing a conference at the UN in New York; demonstrations against
acid attacks in Bangladesh; and Pakistan's President Musharraf vowing to end violence and discrimination against women.

Will the day make any difference to the plight of women? How can their situation be improved? Do you think women have achieved equality?

Those of us from poor countries have a long way to go for women to achieve their basic human rights

Anab Abdulkadir, Ethiopia
International Women's Day is about the injustice 50% of the world's population faces all over the world. It tries to ensure that governments make and enforce
policies that can guarantee the rights of women. Those of us from poor countries have a long way to go for women to achieve their basic human rights. Our fight now
is not for equality but against poverty, illiteracy and disease.
Anab Abdulkadir, Ethiopia

The West is not so advanced. In today's papers in Italy you see stories from women whose parents think they should not have an education or career but should just
get married. Italian men think that their wife is there to do what they want. But today they give their wives mimosa and say 'happy Women's Day'! Why not give them
freedom for the other 364 days? This is Italy. Think what is it like for the women of Afghanistan!
Marina Del Vecchio, Italy

I am not against Women's Day. I am just wondering whether there is a Men's Day celebrated by the UN. If not, there is inequality for you.
Akbar Ehsan, USA

This day is an opportunity to bring attention to ignorance and injustice but it is an opportunity also to celebrate the qualities of womanhood. Qualities of strength,
persistence, the ability to communicate and the need to come together with each other, as we do whatever the culture, to give each other support and comfort and
understanding. I recently read of a study that indicates that it is this capacity for listening to each other with compassion that has us live longer than men.
Bev Clement, Canada

Why are people so obsessed with comparing men and women as if their qualities can be judged on a linear scale?

Mark, Germany
How can women ever achieve equality when they are clearly so different? Why are people so obsessed with comparing men and women as if their qualities can be
judged on a linear scale? The truth is that we treat the people around us differently depending on what we feel is important. If what we feel is important is
irrational/misjudged then we need to be taught this and correct ourselves. However, often when people treat men and women differently for entirely practical
reasons, there is always some do-gooder there to claim sexual discrimination and this is often crippling (especially small) businesses.

If women are being denied certain basic rights (such as equal access to education) then this appears to be a clear case of irrationality and so must be tackled as a
high priority.

However, the problem with these "women's day¿s is that so many people use it to further the cause of relatively privileged western women and so shadow the plight
of those in more immediate, desperate need. The argument claiming that women are paid X% less than men is, quite frankly, meaningless without a clear context and
bores many people. It makes people switch off because we've heard it all before. Lets just hear the important details about discrimination which cripples and lets put
it right!
Mark, Germany

As long as there are places where a foetus is aborted simply because it is of one particular sex, equality of genders has not been achieved. This day is very important
at least to the third world countries where people are still struggling with basic needs.
Ruchi, USA

Women in the west are far from equal.

Saad Ahmad, UK
Women in the west are far from equal. They are still controlled by men: they dress for men, they eat (or should I say diet) for men, they exercise for men and they
beautify themselves for men. Also, the desirable body image for women is also set by men and a woman strives to attain it. I don't call that freedom at all.
Saad Ahmad, UK

I have to disagree with Saad Ahmed's comment that in the West the desirable body shape for a woman is set by men. It is the pencil thin figures of models in glossy
fashion magazines that encourage young girls to starve themselves thin - most of the editorial staff of such magazines are women as are the vast majority of readers.
Ask any man and he will tell you he prefers a much healthier looking figure. As for Women's Day, I think it's a great idea - so long as it isn't hijacked by
commercialism and turned into another 'flowers and chocolates' day.
Mick, UK

Too much sentimentalising over the plight of women has served to take attention away from the plight of men. Life can be very discriminatory and violent towards
males. Nine year old boys were conscripted in Afghanistan, to be disposed of via "daisy cutters" and other US ordnance. How do we weigh the moral outrage over
that compared to the restrictions on women? "Women's Days" used to inspire me, now they just give me the creeps because they serve to overshadow very real
concerns over the welfare and well being of the "other half" of humanity!
Les Farkas, USA

International Women's Day is an event that gained much importance in communist countries last century, where it replaced religious festivals such as Christmas and
Easter. A quick look at some of these countries today, for example Russia (featured in the BBC's news story), show that the only significance it now holds is as a
public holiday and an excuse for men, who otherwise treat their women particularly poorly the rest of the year, to assuage their guilt by giving the long-suffering
women flowers and chocolates. It seems to be a symbolic, rather than practical occasion, although any effort to draw attention to women's plight can only be a good
thing.
Kate, UK

While finally Afghani women are receiving some attention after suffering for all these years, stoning, flogging, and the abuse of basic human rights for Iranian women
are overlooked. While Kofi Anan was shaking the hand of Khatami, on his recent trip to Iran, a Woman Teacher was beaten to death outside UN building for
asking to be paid a fair salary! Who in the world is really caring about woman and human rights as an independent agency?!
Asal, Iran

Every year, nothing changes.

Riyam, USA/Palestine
A society that does not respect its women is a society that will never prosper. Until men realize that women are 50% of the population, until they realize that no
civilization can live without women and that women are human beings just like them, then these societies will never prosper or develop. Women are mothers, sisters,
daughters. They should be lawyers, doctors and professors. And if their own countries do not provide that, then they can kiss modernization, and development
goodbye. This is not an issue that can only be remembered on a day, this is something that needs to be tackled everyday. Unfortunately, politicians seem to think that
if they dedicate one day a year to cliché's and empty promises, 50% of the world population may be appeased and quieted down. Every year, politicians promise
better lives for women. They promise equality and education, and every year, nothing changes. One day can not accomplish anything...
Riyam, USA/Palestine

Women's Day is observed every year but it does not make any difference to women. This day was observed last year too but we do not see any change in the
position of oppressed womanhood. The question of their rights and privileges is related to socio-economic conditions as well as the attitude of men. It is essential that
all governments should be pressured to make and enforce laws that guarantee the rights of women and their participation in all walks of life. It makes me extremely
depressed that only a very small percentage of girls in the underdeveloped world go to school which shuts the doors of employment upon them and results in their
complete dependence on men who maltreat them in the most cruel manner. The ritual of observing Women's Day is stale and does not contribute to the uplifting of
women in the least.
Professor Mukhtar Ali Naqvi, USA

Making one day special does not do justice to women who are persecuted for 365 each year

Ed Vista, UK
Admittedly, the status of women around the world varies greatly, and it's only really in the West that we've grown to accept women and men as equals. However, I
think the plight of women around the world should be an issue that's important EVERY DAY - making one day special does not do justice to women who are
persecuted for 365 each year.
Ed Vista, UK

It is good to highlight positive things and in the case of women, why should it NOT be positive? After all, we are the creators of life, are we not? Today all women in
the Western World should give thanks for the comfortable lives we lead and think of our not-so comfortable sisters in places like Afghanistan, fighting to be seen and
heard. However, I still do not think that women, per se, have reached absolute equality, especially in the professional sectors. We still have a way to go.
Rose Waisberg, Belgium

I feel so sad that women have achieved so little and that abusive men can still be used by other powerful men to achieve their own ends rather than looking at
peoples as a whole including those without a voice, women and children.
What 'victories' for women achieved in the West are surface only and grudgingly made. No real change has occurred at all.
June Le Sueur, London

Both extremes of bias towards either sex are equally dangerous. It's not right for a man to beat up a woman but this does not mean it's right for a woman to beat up
a man. However, we haven't reached total equality yet - my maid still thinks it's her duty to be beaten up by a drunk husband. This is what should move us into
action; Women's Day is not for the privileged to sit about and celebrate their greatness, but to help the unfortunate receive blessings we see as mere rights.
Rachana, India

I don't think they should hold a day like this in the UK as I believe both sexes are now on a level playing field. How about introducing this to Afghanistan instead
where it would be more useful?
Chris Gower, London, UK

Many things have changed but we have a long way to go before women are considered as equals

Janeen, USA
Chris Gower, London, UK: I'm afraid that both sexes are not on a level playing field. Women in the UK (and the USA) still routinely get paid one third less than their
male counterparts. Women are still beaten and raped all over the world. Many things have changed, but we have a long way to go before women are fully honoured
or are considered as equals.
Janeen, USA

Chris Gower's comment that "both sexes (in the UK) are now on a level playing field" shows that he's obviously not a member of a golf club!
Lynne Fairbridge, England

The moral for those who ill-treat their womenfolk is that their societies will become all male and have to resort to homosexuality - Taleban take note!
Hazel, UK

Is there an International Men's Day at all? It'd be nice to get some equal treatment for men for once.
Paul Charters, England

Dear Paul Charters of England. Every day is a man's day.
unappreciated, UK

I can assure the UN that I am very much aware of 50% of the world's population. Perhaps if the UN tackled specific issues, rather than these vast generalisations,
real change rather than political posturing might be achieved.
Georgie, UK

To me International Women's Day is not in any way different from a traditionally ritual or festive day, which is celebrated and forgotten on the same day until the day
rotates. I believe women need much more than set days just to hear carefully worded, but rhetorical statements from politicians, which are never followed up with
positive actions.
Salihu Bakari, Nigeria


While women from rich nations are spending this occasion celebrating their achievements, women from Afghanistan and Africa are dying from hunger

Abong O Eliud, Kenya
This is the day especially in Africa when women reflect on how much they have been subjected to - untold suffering ranging from civil wars, to rape and child labour.
But while women all over the world from rich nations are spending this occasion celebrating their achievements, women not only in Afghanistan but from the majority
of countries in Africa are dying from hunger. My appeal to the developed world is simply to help developing nations find solutions. If women in Africa are not taken
care of they will be wiped out. Remember that African women are the ones who take the responsibility of caring for the whole family, including the husband. What
do men do for women in Africa? Nothing.
Abong O Eliud, Kenya

Women face discrimination all over the world, although it manifests itself in different ways in different places. International Women's Day is important in educating
people about the injustices that women face. Ultimately change must come from within and must be instigated by the people. An educated public is our best hope for
eradicating discrimination.
Shereen Siddiqui, USA

This will achieve absolutely nothing. Afghanistan has always been and will always be a troublesome nation. The majority of their male population carry machine guns
and other weaponry around with them. Can you see it all becoming equal and the women of Afghanistan fighting for their nation and carrying guns? It will never work
and things will not change. This is a pointless exercise.
Mark Blackburn, Essex, England

The women of Afghanistan have no rights and never will. There is no point in this as the UN is trying to change a country's culture that goes back thousands of years.
Men are the leading sex in Afghanistan and that is how it will remain.
Fraser Howse, Essex, UK

Actually this is a sacred day for the women of Afghanistan. They are now to feel freedom whilst they were not given freedom in the Taleban regime. Their situation
gets improved day by day, although most of them haven't been in the framework of education for the past six years. In the new interim government, women are given
Ministries and this is a live fact that women have got equality. The women of Afghanistan are very happy with the new interim government. This day will make the
interim government succeed.
Khalid Hamza, Kabul, Afghanistan

How would the organisers of this event feel about participating in an International Man's Day. Not so eager I bet. Talk about having your cake and eating it. I
appreciate the plight of Afghan women and those of other nations too but I would prefer to help those who are most needy not just those of one particular sex.
Richard, UK


Give men a break and start to mark the fact that it's men which are now the second-class citizens

Tony Vickers, England
Presumably the Women's Day' is to celebrate that in so many ways women expect and get prefential treatment in most areas of life. Healthcare, most aspects of the
law, government legislation being just three areas. Come on, give men a break and start to mark the fact that it's men which are now the second-class citizens.
Tony Vickers, England

Good comment Paul! By celebrating women's day, the specific woman admits that they should be treated specially and have a special day for them. This implies that
they admit they are inferior! You can have best of both worlds, either you are equal or you are not! Like the saying goes, some are more equal than others!
Jacques, Sweden

I find both Fraser and Mark's comments rather fatalistic in attitude. If we are to go along their lines of thinking are we to do nothing as a global society and just sit
back and watch women suffer and die in Afghanistan?! A thousand miles begins with one step.
Paula, UK

Most of the men's comments on this page just seem to enhance the reason why we HAVE a day like this! Women are being abused in many many ways, all over the
world (yes! including in the UK!) Yet the men see no need to honour and support these women.
Susannah, England

The implication is that only women suffer in the world. I don't think so.
David Hall, England

We cannot define women's needs based on western concepts of equality and freedom

Dr.A.K.S.Pillai, UK/India
I think every nation on earth is gender biased. But women of a different nationality have different dreams and different needs to fulfil. So the priorities change. We
cannot define women's needs based on western concepts of equality and freedom, as this varies with culture. I think women's day is a good concept and it reminds
of the work we need to do, to achieve certain goals. But always the difference between man and women will exist as it is a reality, however unfortunate.
Dr.A.K.S.Pillai, UK/India

To Paul Charters: The day that men have to fear walking alone, saying the wrong thing to a drunken, abusive husband, or being burned by acid because they've
breached their family's "honour" is the day you will see International Men's Day. Until that time, why don't you use your big manly voice and try to help?
Jennifer Ethington, USA

I agree with Chris. Concentrating on inequality of women is not as relevant to our developed countries today, as it is to developing countries, or it was to developed
countries several decades ago. Here in the UK, women now have as as many legal rights as men. Although raising general awareness is a good thing, actions always
speak louder than words, and the actions that make a difference to these women have to be taken within the developing countries.

We can all pat ourselves on the back for thinking about their plight, but unless we go over there to pass on knowledge and skills, or help those who do, nothing will
ever change. And let's not give with one hand while taking away with the other; don't invest or trade with companies which use these people for cheap labour; buy
fairly traded products and ethical investments that help such countries build a stable economy.
Jon, UK

Reply to Chris Gower in London. If women and men truly were on a level playing field then women's day would not be an event. Although things have come a long
way in recent years we still have a long way to go.
Becci Coghlan, UK

To say that only western civilisation has grown to accept men and women as equals is misleading. In most western countries women are subject to exploitation of
their bodies in forms of advertisements, in films and in pornographic literature. If this is equality, then it is a depressing one indeed.
Yasmin Shah, East London, UK

I disagree with those readers who don't think this conference will have any effect. Just because inequality still exists the world over doesn't mean we should just
throw up our hands and say it will never change. My parents attitude about sexual equality made a difference in the lives of their three children, who will in turn effect
others.

Even if this conference only changes the life of one woman, think of how important it is to her. Nothing changes overnight, especially social customs. But change does
happen when people are persistent. So, to all the pessimists out there, don't lose hope and don't underestimate the effect you can have on another person's life.
Sarah Webber, USA