March 5, 2002

Dead hero Masood continues to rule in Afghanistan
By Mehrdad Balali

Wednesday March 6, 5:22 AM

KABUL (Reuters) - Is a dead man the real ruler of Afghanistan?

Judging by photographs that adorn all government offices, most shops, car windshields, and hoardings on street corners, it is certainly not interim prime minister
Hamid Karzai.

The real ruler, the face that looks out from everywhere in Kabul, is Ahmad Shah Masood, a dead symbol of resistance against the Soviet Union and later the
Taliban.

Never mind that Tajik commander Masood was murdered seven months ago, two days before September 11's attacks on the United States set Afghanistan on its
present road.

Arrive at Kabul airport and it is a photograph of Masood that looks down as your visa is stamped, not Karzai.

"Karzai does not have any real authority. Power is in the hands of those with guns," said a senior government official. "Masood followers are taking over all the
important posts."

He pointed to Defence Minister Mohammad Fahim, Interior Minister Yunus Qanuni and Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, all protégés of Masood and now
a trio forming the backbone of the interim government in Kabul.

They are minority Tajiks from northern Afghanistan. Karzai is a majority Pashtoon, who are mainly from eastern Afghanistan bordering Pakistan.

Hailed as a "martyr", Masood is often referred to with veneration in official speeches and tribute is paid to him regularly on state radio and TV programmes even
though it is run by a royalist minister, nominally a rival of the Masood clique.

KARZAI RUNS INTO CRITICISM FOR TIME ABROAD

Even though he was defence minister, there is no mention of Masood's part in the chaotic government that ran the country in the early 1990s between the departure
of Soviet forces and the takeover by the fundamentalist Taliban.

In contrast, Karzai, a tribal leader, runs into mainly criticism, or even worse, apathy from many Afghans.

He has been accused of spending too much time abroad on getting aid since he became interim ruler in December, and of not paying enough attention to his country's
problems.

While his English skills and elegant manner play well at the White House and in the capitals of Europe, in this tribal society it is the decisive exercise of power that
counts.

Ten weeks into his rule, ministries barely function, all waiting to receive their share of billions of dollars in foreign aid donated to help the country on its feet.

The capital Kabul, much of it flattened in the civil war of the 1990s, enjoys a measure of security but has hardly seen a face-lift, with residents still struggling for a
meagre living.

There are open sewers, electricity supplies are uneven, hospitals are filthy and most of the goods and services taken for granted elsewhere in southern Asia are in
short supply.

"Karzai has no programme. He has no ideas as to how to pull the country out of this mess. He seems to be at a loss, even on general issues," Assad Habibi, an
Afghan analyst, told Reuters.

"It is a very volatile situation. It is like a human grenade. It will not be easy to pass through this human minefield and we will continue to suffer," said Habibi, a
German-based political activist of the struggle against the Taliban.

Even if Karzai's standing at home could approach his image overseas, an equal danger lurks for him among Masood's ambitious followers.

HIDDEN POWER STRUGGLE

"Hard as they try to appear good bed-fellows, one cannot deny the age-old tradition of rivalry in Afghanistan. There are more separatist tendencies than bonding
factors among our leaders," said Abdulmomen, an Afghan journalist.

Rival politicians are already jockeying for a foothold beyond the current administration, whose tenure ends in June.

Tribal clashes are on the rise in eastern and northern parts of the country as provincial military commanders try to maintain their grip on power, refusing to surrender
their weapons.

Afghan leaders and prominent warlords have publicly distanced themselves from these conflicts, but appear unable or unwilling to bite the bullet to deal with them
yet.

"Some military commanders have money and weapons and they want to maintain their influence at any cost. We will not be able to deal with this any time soon,"
Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Rahim Shirzai told Reuters.

The recent assassination of Aviation and Tourism Minister Abdul Rahman, a monarchist, showed the country's rivalries.

Authorities have linked high-ranking officials, including the military, to the murder of Abdul Rahman, said to have been a former Masood aide who changed
allegiance to the royalists.

"A minister is stabbed in front of people and the killers roam free. What kind of a security is that?" one official said.

Wary of another long dictatorship like they endured under the Taliban, some Kabul residents see the minister's assassination as a sign of creeping authoritarianism.

"We are worried that in the name of democracy, powerful figures will seek to stay in power. A dictated democracy is worse than Taliban dictatorship," a Kabul
businessman said. "Karzai has to stop trying to please everyone and take charge."

---

Warplanes unleash bombs in biggest offensive of Afghan war
Wednesday March 6, 12:45 AM(AFP)
Warplanes bombarded the mountains of eastern Afghanistan with volleys of bombs as US-led forces met tough resistance from al-Qaeda fighters in the coalition's
deadliest battle so far.

About 2,000 US-led troops, including about 900 Americans and some 200 European special forces troops are taking part in Operation Anaconda -- the fiercest
ground combat seen by US forces in several years.

Taj Mohammad Wardak, the governor of the eastern province of Paktia where the fighting is taking place, said the coalition had miscalculated the strength of the
militants holed up in the rugged, snow-capped Arma mountains south of here.

"The Americans were underestimating them. They believed that there were not that many people and they did not realise how well they were supplied," he told AFP
on Tuesday in this provincial capital.

Wardak, who said he had been briefed by US forces, predicted the operation to mop up al-Qaeda fighters and supporters of the ousted Taliban regime would take
longer than expected.

While the al-Qaeda "resistance is quite strong," Wardak said he was sure the militants were suffering heavy casualties.

Air Force General Richard Myers, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the battle was unfolding in snow-and-ice-covered mountains where enemy
forces had dug into caves and tunnels at altitudes of 8,000 to 11,000 feet (2,500 to 3,300 meters).

"It seems they have chosen to stay and to fight to the last, and we hope to accommodate them," he said.

"They're obviously well-organized. They're dug in. They're well-armed. And they're fighting fiercely," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon press
conference with Myers.

"We knew they would resist strongly and anticipated a fierce fight. That is exactly what's taking place."

US President George W. Bush sent his "prayers and tears" to the families of seven members of the military killed Monday in the biggest single-day loss of US life of
the campaign.

However, he said Operation Anaconda was a "just cause" and vowed to defeat entrenched al-Qaeda and Taliban forces.

"I am just as determined now as I was a week ago, or three months ago, to fulfill this mission," Bush said on a one-day trip to Minnesota. At least 40 US troops
have been wounded since the fighting began Saturday, military officials in Washington said Tuesday.

US Army General Tommy Franks, commander of the Afghan campaign, said US and European troops were leading the ground assault while about 1,000 Afghan
forces were blocking avenues of escape.

French fighter aircraft have been involved in airstrikes on the al-Qaeda positions with Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany and Norway also among the coalition
countries participating in the operation.

Franks said the battle was being waged at altitudes of 8,000 to 12,000 feet (2,500-3,300 meters).

Smoke could be seen rising Tuesday from the Arma mountains as B-52 bombers were heard in the sky near Gardez.

---

Coalition planes pound enemy positions as Afghan battle rages on

Wednesday March 6, 6:42 AM

GARDEZ, Afghanistan (AFP) - Coalition warplanes pounded al-Qaeda and Taliban mountain strongholds, after a ground offensive by US-led forces met with stiff
resistance that left eight American soldiers dead.

Taj Mohammad Wardak, the governor of the eastern province of Paktia where the fighting is taking place, said US forces had miscalculated the strength of the
militants holed up in the rugged, snow-capped Arma Mountains south of here.

"The Americans were underestimating them. They believed that there were not that many people and they did not realize how well they were supplied," he told AFP
on Tuesday in this provincial capital.

Wardak, who said he had been briefed by US forces, predicted the operation to mop up al-Qaeda fighters and supporters of the ousted Taliban regime would take
longer than expected.

He said al-Qaeda and Taliban forces were receiving fresh supplies of men and equipment from supporters in lawless tribal areas of Pakistan.

The fierce fighting in Paktia Monday claimed the highest US casualty figure for a single day of combat in the Afghan campaign when al-Qaeda fighters attacked two
US Special Forces helicopters and killed seven American soldiers.

One more US soldier was killed in the region late last week.

The bodies of the seven US soldiers killed on Monday arrived at the Ramstein US air base in western Germany Tuesday.

A joint honor guard including air force, army and navy soldiers held a ceremony at the base in honor of the fallen servicemen.

As preparations were being made to send the bodies home, US-led air and ground forces pressed their offensive in eastern Afghanistan, killing "a lot of people" and
capturing a cave complex, said US Air Force Brigadier General John Rosa, deputy director of current operations of the Joint Staff.

Victoria Clarke, the chief Pentagon spokeswoman, said 44 US troops have been wounded since the start of "Operation Anaconda." Of those, 18 have been
returned to duty.

The Pentagon gave no new estimate of the number of al-Qaeda forces killed in the fighting. Army General Tommy Franks said Monday that between 100 and 200
were killed.

"We believe there are still hundreds of fighters there," said Rosa.

"We've been able to get into at least one of the cave complexes thus far, and we've discovered mortars, rocket-propelled grenade rounds, small arms, and in a
different location we found more weapons and ammunition as well as foreign drivers licenses, and foreign passports," he said.

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that US commanders had anticipated fierce resistance from the estimated several hundred heavily armed al-Qaeda and
Taliban fighters holed up in the mountains.

"They're, obviously, well-organized. They're dug in. They're well-armed. And they're fighting fiercely," Rumsfeld said. "We knew they would resist strongly, and
anticipated a fierce fight. That is exactly what's taking place."

Smoke could be seen rising Tuesday from the Arma Mountains as B-52 bombers were heard in the sky near Gardez.

Helicopters were seen ferrying coalition troops to their base south of here to take part in what US officials have described as the largest ground and air offensive by
US-led coalition forces since the war began in October.

Special forces, their faces camouflaged, were seen heading toward the mountains in two jeeps surrounded by about 20 heavily armed Afghan soldiers.

The campaign draws on some 2,000 US-led troops, including 900 Americans, some 1,000 Afghan allies and support from Australian, Canadian, Danish, French,
German and Norwegian forces.

French jets were again in action Tuesday against al-Qaeda positions, the defence ministry in Paris said.

"The confrontations are ongoing, and French Super-Etendards and Mirage 2000s are being used alongside US planes to support ground operations," said
spokesman Christian Baptiste.

The Afghan Islamic Press, meanwhile, quoted a commander in the mountains, Maulvi Saifurrahman Mansoor, as saying the al-Qaeda fighters "will continue to wage
jihad until our last breath against the Americans for the glory of Islam and for the defense of our country."

With Iran branded an "axis of evil" state, Hassan Ruhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned Tuesday that US military "aggression"
against Iran would create "an anti-American and anti-Western climate in the whole region".

But the United States continued to press its war on terror also on the financial front Tuesday as Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for
talks with Saudi officials on measures to curb terrorism financing, diplomats said.

O'Neill will meet over three days with Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf and other senior officials to discuss steps to "monitor and eliminate" the funding of
terrorism, he diplomats said.

---

Troops inch towards Taliban in bloody assault
By Christine Hauser

Tuesday March 5, 11:06 PM

GARDEZ, Afghanistan (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces fought their way under heavy fire towards Taliban and al Qaeda bunkers in the icy mountains of eastern
Afghanistan on Tuesday, pressing on with one of the bloodiest offensives of the war.

Afghan commander Abdul Muteen said U.S. and Afghan forces had advanced to within 100 metres of the enemy, who were trying to hold them at bay with machine
guns and rocket propelled grenades.

"There is fierce fighting. The Taliban and al Qaeda fighters have become very weak. They are running out of ammunition," said Muteen, who commands 70 troops in
the 1,500-strong Afghan force and receives regular reports from his fighters in the field.

"The bombing has stopped and our soldiers with some U.S. advisers have advanced to within 100 metres (330 feet) of some rebel caves and bunkers."

The ground attack, the biggest of the five-month-old Afghan War and codenamed "Operation Anaconda", had been on hold for nearly 24 hours to allow U.S.
bombing of the mountain hideouts by B-52s and F-16 jets, and strafing by attack helicopters.

The Taliban and al Qaeda have mounted a stiff resistance, repelling the first offensive on Saturday and sending the U.S.-led forces back to the eastern town of
Gardez, more than 30 km (20 miles) from the frontline to regroup.

Eight U.S. soldiers have been killed in the operation, including six who died when a "Chinook" helicopter was shot down on Monday. The U.S. says hundreds of
Taliban and al Qaeda fighters have been killed.

"SURRENDER OR DIE"

"The battle was very intense at times. There was mortar fire, machine gun fire. The enemy has heavy weaponry," U.S. Major Bryan Hilferty told Reuters at Bagram
Airbase north of Kabul, where much of the U.S. ground force has been shifted to support the assault. "This battle is going to go on until they all surrender or die."

But both U.S. and Afghan commanders said the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters seemed determined to fight to the death.

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

Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Rahim Shirzai said even when the Gardez operation was over "it may take a long time for us to get rid of the Taliban
and al Qaeda fighters".

"Some of our neighbours and regional countries have set up proxies in Afghanistan in the past two decades; it is unlikely we will be able to destroy them any time
soon," he told Reuters.

U.S. President George W. Bush mourned the American casualties in the operation, but vowed to pursue his global war on terrorism, launched after the September
11 attacks on the United States.

The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan said up to 200 hardened al Qaeda and Taliban fighters died in fierce fighting in the first four days of "Operation
Anaconda".

Afghan government casualties were estimated at seven dead and 20 wounded.

Hundreds of Afghan troops and forces from other countries, including Australia, Denmark, France, Germany and Norway, were involved in the attack on the
regrouped al Qaeda and Taliban forces, many believed to be dug in with their families.

A Pentagon spokeswoman said more than 1,000 U.S. personnel, including special operations troops, members of the 101st Airborne and 10th Mountain Divisions,
were used in the attack.

'WE'LL WIN THIS BATTLE,' BUSH SAYS

Asked if more U.S. troops were now needed in Afghanistan, Bush said he would rely on the advice of his commanders. "But we'll take whatever means is necessary
to protect our servicemen and women. And we'll win this battle," he said.

Afghan officials said they believed neither Osama bin Laden nor Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar were in the battle area.

U.S. officials have left open the possibility bin Laden, their number one suspect in the September 11 attacks, is dead, but said they have no clear evidence of his
fate.

"I haven't heard from him since December 11," Bush said. "He's been awfully quiet. I don't know why. But I know he's on the run, if he's running at all."

The resurgence of fighting in the five-month campaign that toppled the ruling Taliban and routed al Qaeda followed a lull of several weeks during which some
politicians in Washington began to question the U.S. mission's success.

Fears have been raised that the country will fall back into the warlordism and anarchy that reigned before the rise of the Taliban. The interim government is trying to
keep local warlords under control and prevent factional squabbles.

Afghan defence minister Mohammad Fahim on Tuesday started a two-day meeting with warlords from all over the country who he had called to Kabul to discuss

---

Lawmaker: Afghan Detainees Talking
Tue Mar 5, 7:44 PM ET
By JEFFREY McMURRAY, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Afghan detainees being held at the U.S. naval base in Cuba are contributing valuable information in the investigation of the Sept. 11 attacks
and other acts of terrorism, Rep. Saxby Chambliss (news) said Tuesday.

Chambliss, the chairman of a House Intelligence panel that oversees homeland security issues, led a seven-member congressional delegation to the Guantanamo Bay
base. Some 300 suspected fighters of the al-Qaida terrorist network and fallen Taliban regime are being there held for questioning.

"These are the really bad guys, who have been brought over here for purpose of interrogating to find out how much information they know about Sept. 11 and other
incidents," Chambliss said. "I came away with a good feeling about the work the interrogation process is doing."

Last Thursday, 194 of the detainees reportedly were refusing to eat as a protest. Chambliss said only about 20 were continuing with the hunger strike Tuesday,
crediting a Muslim Army chaplain who has been talking with the the detainees.

The lawmakers met with many of the Americans guarding the prison and took a brief tour of the facilities. Although the purpose of the trip wasn't to assess the
conditions, which have drawn the wrath of some human rights groups, Chambliss said the facilities were adequate.

"We're obligated to treat them in a humane manner, feed them, clothe them and provide them with adequate shelter," Chambliss said. "We're not obligated to bend
the rules for their benefit."

Rep. Ray LaHood (news), R-Ill., said the group toured many parts of the prison from food facilities to shower rooms and found everything was in compliance with
international law.

"This is a very hot climate, but they are under cover in the sense that they have a roof over their head," LaHood said. "They certainly have no reason to complain
about the conditions there."

---

Warplanes in action after US suffers worst losses of Afghan campaign

Tuesday March 5, 5:08 PM(AFP)

US warplanes attacked al-Qaeda and Taliban strongholds after at least seven US soldiers were killed in the bloodiest day of fighting for American forces in
Afghanistan.

US B-52 bombers could be seen overhead early Tuesday after a night of heavy bombing of al-Qaeda and Taliban positions in the snow-covered Arma mountains
near the town of Gardez, the capital of Paktia province bordering Pakistan.

Helicopters and other aircraft were involved in the overnight assault, part of what US officials have described as the largest ground and air offensive by US-led
coalition forces since the "war against terrorism" began in October.

Coalition special forces, their faces camoflagued with mud, were seen heading toward the mountains Tuesday morning in two jeeps surrounded by about 20 heavily
armed Afghan soldiers.

"Operation Anaconda" involves some 2,000 US-led troops, including some 900 Americans, Afghan allies and 200 European special forces, and is targeting
hundreds of heavily armed al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters entrenched in the Arma mountains southwest of here.

US military officials in Washington said fierce fighting claimed the highest US casualties in a single day of the war Monday as al-Qaeda fighters attacked two US
Special Forces helicopters and killed seven American soldiers.

At least 40 US troops have been wounded since the fighting began Saturday, they said.

US Army General Tommy Franks, commander of the Afghan campaign, said Monday that US and European troops were leading the ground assault, while about
1,000 Afghan forces were blocking avenues of escape.

Franks said the battle was being waged at altitudes of 8,000 to 12,000 feet (2,500-3,300 meters) and estimated that between 100 and 200 al-Qaeda fighters had
been killed.

US President George W. Bush sent his "prayers and tears" to the families of the US soldiers killed in action but pledged to pursue the offensive.

One US soldier was killed after apparently falling out of a Special Forces MH-47 helicopter that was hit by a rocket propelled grenade as it was flying low to the
ground, said Navy Commander Dan Keesee, a spokesman for the US Central Command.

The helicopter made a hard landing a half mile away and only then did its crew discover that a soldier was missing, he said.

A second MH-47 helicopter that had been flying in tandem with the first picked up the downed crew and went back to recover the missing soldier, he said.

"They land, insert some ground forces, and at that point, very shortly after that second helicopter lands, a firefight ensues," he said, adding that six US soldiers were
killed in the firefight.

Gardez is under the control of a governor, Taj Mohammad Wardak, but he exerts little control of areas outside the town and journalists have been unable to
approach the frontlines.

A Canadian reporter, Kathleen Kenna of the Toronto Star, suffered serious leg injuries on Monday when the car in which she and other journalists was travelling
came under attack between Gardez and the town of Zurmat.

She was airlifted to Bagram air base near Kabul for medical treatment.

A convoy of journalists including an AFP reporter and photographer also came under mortar attack overnight as they spent the night in cars at a checkpoint near this
US coalition base outside of Gardez.

It was not clear whether the attack on the checkpoint was launched by Taliban, al-Qaeda or other local armed factions displeased with Hamid Karzai's interim
government in Kabul.

Paktia is notorious for lawlessness, with rival warlords fighting over the governorship of the province.

Dozens of people were killed in Gardez when Pashtun tribal strongman Padsha Khan attempted to take up the governor's post by force at the end of January.

Khan was initially appointed governor by Karzai, but was subsequently rejected after the intense two-day battle with the forces of local tribal council leader Saif
Ullah, in which more than 50 people were killed.

"This is only my 15th day in office and everyday I'm working to improve the law and order situation," Wardak told AFP Monday.

He said all local commanders were united against the al-Qaeda forces of Osama bin Laden, the Saudi dissident accused of carrying out the September 11 terrorist
attacks in the United States.

"There are no differences between the local military leaders because everybody has a common enemy in al-Qaeda," Wardak said. "Everybody hates al-Qaeda."

The Afghan Islamic Press quoted a commander in the mountains, Maulvi Saifurrahman Mansoor, saying the al-Qaeda fighters "will continue to wage jihad until our
last breath against the Americans for the glory of Islam and for the defense of our country."

Jihad, or holy war, "is a respectful way. We prefer to die in honor than to live in humiliation," the commander told the Pakistan-based news service.

Wardak said bombing and fighting was centered around Shahi Kot, on the corner of Paktia and Paktika provinces. He expected the operation would last a few
more days.

"Shahi Kot is more important than we were thinking and maybe some top al-Qaeda leaders are there," Wardak said.

"I have heard that Osama bin Laden is there, but I'm not sure. It's not confirmed. We will know everything in a matter of two or three days."

---

India Sees Bright Prospects for Tea Exports to Afghanistan

Tuesday March 5, 3:32 PM(AFP)

NEW DELHI, March 5 Asia Pulse - The opening of India's diplomatic mission in Kabul has brightened the prospects of tea exports from India to Afghanistan.
The opening of the mission and availability of suitable trade finance would provide an opportunity to reestablish the tea trading links which in turn will promote
exports, an official release said on Monday.

Tea exports to Afghanistan was valued at Rs 26.4 million in 2000-01 while it was Rs 23.2 million in 1999-2000.

---

Rescuers step up efforts in Afghan quake village
By Andy Soloman

Tuesday March 5, 3:39 PM

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Aid workers on Tuesday stepped up rescue efforts at a mountain village in northern Afghanistan where more than 100 people are thought
to have died in a massive landslide triggered by an earthquake.

Officials from the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP), which was hoping to move emergency food supplies into the disaster area on Tuesday, said it was now
believed that 108 people may have been killed in the village.

"We have reports 70 were killed in their homes and 30 people were killed at a roadside tea stand," Alejandro Chicheri, WFP spokesman in the northern Afghan city
of Mazar-i-Sharif, told Reuters.

But only the bodies of eight people who drowned in a river had been recovered, he added.

"The cliff fell over on one side of the village and there are 100 houses completely destroyed so if people were in their homes we believe they were killed," Chicheri
said.

The earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, struck Afghanistan on Sunday afternoon, shaking a wide area stretching from Tajikistan to India.

Chicheri, who visited the village on Monday, said international groups working at the site included Medecins sans Frontieres, the International Committee of the Red
Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Irish aid agency GOAL.

He said residents appeared to be in shock, with no-one attempting to dig and no sign of heavy equipment that would be needed to help shift the hundreds, if not
thousands, of tonnes of rubble, he said.

"This may take months," Chicheri said. "The upper part of the cliff fell over on to one side of the village and buried it."

VILLAGES THREATENED

Khaled Mansour, the regional WFP spokesman based in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, said the name of the village was now unclear, but it was located 25 km (15
miles) south of the Samangan provincial capital, Aybak. Aid officials on Monday had given the village's name as Dhakli-e-Zeu.

Aid workers flew on Monday by U.N. helicopter to the village, set in a steep mountain gorge, and found the landslide had also blocked a river, threatening villages
upstream.

At least six people are known to have been killed in the Afghan capital Kabul and there are unconfirmed reports of five deaths and more than 300 houses destroyed
in remote northeast Badakhshan province.

U.N. officials in Afghanistan say it will take several days for a clearer picture of the quake's impact to emerge because of the remoteness of many of the affected
areas.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake's epicentre was 45 miles (75 km) south-southwest of Faizabad, in Badakhshan province, and 150 miles (240 km)
north-northeast of Kabul.

Earthquakes are relatively frequent in the Hindu Kush mountain range. Another tremor of similar strength struck northern Afghanistan on January 3, but caused no
significant damage.

In 1998, two earthquakes killed about 8,500 people and destroyed tens of thousands of houses in Takhar and Badakhshan provinces.

---

US readies for tough Afghan fight

Wednesday, 6 March, 2002, 00:03 GMT (BBC)

More US troops are being deployed into the area

US military officials have warned that it could take several days to overcome a group of al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters holding out in eastern Afghanistan.
"There is still a lot of work to be done. We are far from over," said General John Rosa, a senior operations officer on the US Joint Staff.

As heavy, close-quarter fighting was reported in the area, the US ordered up five attack helicopters to replace those which have been damaged since the US-led
Operation Anaconda began last week.

Afghan troops are fighting alongside the US forces in difficult mountainous terrain, south of the town of Gardez.

Click for a detailed map of the Gardez operation

According to local Afghan commanders the al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters are responding with heavy machine-gun and mortar fire.

The BBC's Adam Brookes in Gardez says air strikes are continuing, but they are less intense than in recent days, suggesting that US commanders feel confident
about moving ground troops into combat.

Click here for a guide to US military options

Unnamed US officials claim over 100 al-Qaeda and Taleban have been killed in the fighting, though this has not been confirmed.

US losses, mainly sustained when two helicopters came under attack, have been confirmed at eight dead and 11 wounded.

About a thousand US troops are actively involved in the battle

Major Bryan Hilferty

An Afghan local commander said Afghan troops and American advisers are about 100 metres from the rebel hideouts - about 32 kilometres (20 miles) from Gardez,
capital of Paktia Province.

The al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters are putting up stiff resistance, blanketing Afghan and American advances towards caves and bunkers with heavy machine gun and
mortar fire.

Nonetheless, the Afghan commanders are predicting that the resistance will weaken soon.

Fight to the end

Most of the US ground forces in Afghanistan have been flown into Bagram airbase, near Kabul, to support the offensive, a US military spokesman told Reuters.

Major Bryan Hilferty said three battalions, which normally number from 500 to 600 men, have been moved to Bagram to assist in the operation.

Troops have been moved to Bagram to provide support

"About a thousand US troops are actively involved in the battle. This battle is going to go on until they all (al-Qaeda and the Taleban) surrender or die," Mr Hilferty
said.

A rebel commander quoted by the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency (AIP) said al-Qaeda and Taleban forces would fight to the end.

"The fight against America for the supremacy of Islam and the defence of our country will continue until our last breath," rebel commander Maulvi Saif-ur-Rehman
Mansoor said in a statement.

Troop movements

The BBC's correspondent in Gardez says that the area around the fighting is a hive of activity with columns of trucks carrying US special forces filling the roads and
US helicopters buzzing overhead.

Troops from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany and Norway are also involved alongside US army and special forces and Afghan fighters.

French fighter planes have been in action on Tuesday providing aerial support for the ground offensive, the French Ministry of Defence confirmed.

"The confrontations are ongoing, and French Super-Etendards and Mirage 2000s are being used alongside US planes to support ground operations," spokesman
Christian Baptiste said.

---

US Reports Progress at Guantanamo
Tue Mar 5, 7:54 PM ET
By JEFFREY McMURRAY, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Afghan detainees being held at the U.S. naval base in Cuba are contributing valuable information in the investigation of the Sept. 11 attacks
and other acts of terrorism, Rep. Saxby Chambliss said Tuesday.


Chambliss, the chairman of a House Intelligence panel that oversees homeland security issues, led a seven-member congressional delegation to the Guantanamo Bay
base. Some 300 suspected fighters of the al-Qaida terrorist network and fallen Taliban regime are being there held for questioning.

"These are the really bad guys, who have been brought over here for purpose of interrogating to find out how much information they know about Sept. 11 and other
incidents," Chambliss said. "I came away with a good feeling about the work the interrogation process is doing."

Last Thursday, 194 of the detainees reportedly were refusing to eat as a protest. Chambliss said only about 20 were continuing with the hunger strike Tuesday,
crediting a Muslim Army chaplain who has been talking with the the detainees.

The lawmakers met with many of the Americans guarding the prison and took a brief tour of the facilities. Although the purpose of the trip wasn't to assess the
conditions, which have drawn the wrath of some human rights groups, Chambliss said the facilities were adequate.

"We're obligated to treat them in a humane manner, feed them, clothe them and provide them with adequate shelter," Chambliss said. "We're not obligated to bend
the rules for their benefit."

Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., said the group toured many parts of the prison from food facilities to shower rooms and found everything was in compliance with
international law.

"This is a very hot climate, but they are under cover in the sense that they have a roof over their head," LaHood said. "They certainly have no reason to complain
about the conditions there."

---

Afghan Villagers Upset by Bombing

Tue Mar 5, 6:20 PM ET
By KATHY GANNON, Associated Press Writer

SURMAD, Afghanistan (AP) - Villagers near the snowcapped mountains where fighting rages are increasingly upset by the bombing that has disrupted the peace
they expected with the Taliban's fall last year.

There is little or no support for the al-Qaida terror network or its members among villagers at the base of the Shah-e-Kot mountains in eastern Afghanistan (news -
web sites).

But the villagers are unhappy with the days of U.S. bombing, which has shattered the peace after the strict Taliban regime was ousted last year in the U.S.-led air
campaign.

They're also concerned that women and children — the families of the al-Qaida fighters — may be trapped in the battle area. Nobody knows for sure, however if
family members were in the warren of caves in the Shah-e-Kot range when the fierce new offensive began last week.

"No one wants these foreign fighters here," said villager Haji Sultan said, referring to al-Qaida, which made of Arabs, Chechens, Uzbeks and Pakistanis.

But, he said, "this is brutal action. When the Taliban collapsed we thought things will get better. We thought step by step it will improve. We thought that finally we
would have peace. But we don't."

He and other villagers say many of the fighters who sought refuge in the area in December brought wives and children with them.

"I know they are there," Sultan said angrily. "I saw them. They came through here at the time of the bombing of Tora Bora," in December.

On Monday, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld suggested it was a possibility that family members were with the trapped fighters.

"We have assumed that where you find large numbers of al-Qaida and Taliban, that there may very well be noncombatants with them who are family members or
supporters of some kind," Rumsfeld said.

The assault is the largest U.S.-led air and ground offensive of the Afghan war, designed to pound the militants with waves of airstrikes and squeeze them out of their
hide-outs. Gen. Tommy Franks, commander of the war in Afghanistan, estimated Monday that 100 to 200 enemy fighters had been killed.

Even before the bombing, tempers had been running high in Surmad since U.S. special forces and Afghan troops arrested the local police chief and eight others last
month. Villagers claim rival Afghans told the Americans — wrongly, they insist — that the nine were Taliban loyalists.

Afghan authorities in Gardez, a provincial capital 18 miles away, were warning foreigners Tuesday to stay away from Surmad, saying there were al-Qaida and
Taliban sympathizers in the area.

But residents in Gardez also criticized the bombing.

A Canadian journalist, Kathleen Kenna of the Toronto Star, was injured when someone hurled a grenade at her car near here.

As several boys gathered at the school in Surmad, Rehmatullah, a teacher who uses one name, said he feared his poor country would still be in the grip of war when
the pupils are grown men.

"We just want peace," he said.

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Afghan U.S. Casualties Glance

Tue Mar 5, 3:27 PM ET
By The Associated Press

American deaths related to the fight against terrorism since the Afghanistan campaign began Oct. 7:

New Heavy Fighting In Afghanistan (Reuters)

_March 4: Seven American soldiers were killed and 11 were wounded when two helicopters took enemy fire in the largest allied air and ground offensive of the war.
Those killed: (Army) Sgt. Bradley S. Crose, 27, of Orange Park, Fla.; Sgt. Philip J. Svitak, 31, of Joplin, Mo.; Spc. Marc A. Anderson, 30, of Brandon, Fla.; Pfc.
Matthew A. Commons, 21, of Boulder City, Nev.; (Navy) Aviation Boatswain's Mate-Handling Petty Officer 1st Class Neil C. Roberts, 32, of Woodland, Calif.;
(Air Force) Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman, 36, of Waco, Texas; Senior Airman Jason D. Cunningham, 26, of Camarillo, Calif.

_March 2: Army Chief Warrant Officer Stanley L. Harriman, 34, of Wade, N.C., was killed by enemy fire during an assault on Taliban and al-Qaida fighters
regrouping in eastern Afghanistan; Lt. Cmdr. Christopher M. Blaschum, 33, of Virginia Beach, died after ejecting from his F-14 Tomcat fighter jet that crashed
during a training exercise in the Mediterranean Sea.

_Jan. 20: Staff Sgt. Walter F. Cohee III, 26, Wicomico, Md., and Sgt. Dwight J. Morgan, 24, Mendocino, Calif., both Marines, killed when their CH-53E Super
Stallion helicopter crashed while on a resupply mission. Five other Marines injured.

_Jan. 9: Capt. Matthew W. Bancroft, 29, Redding, Calif.; Capt. Daniel G. McCollum, 29, Irmo, S.C.; Gunnery Sgt. Stephen L. Bryson, 36, Montgomery, Ala.;
Staff Sgt. Scott N. Germosen, 37, New York; Sgt. Nathan P. Hays, 21, of Wilbur, Wash.; Lance Cpl. Bryan P. Bertrand, 23, Coos Bay, Ore.; and Sgt. Jeannette
L. Winters, 25, Gary, Ind., all Marines, killed in the crash of tanker plane into a mountain in Pakistan.

_Jan. 4: Army Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Ross Chapman, 31, San Antonio, killed in vicinity of Khost, near the Pakistan border. The first U.S. soldier killed by the
enemy.

_Dec. 5: Staff Sgt. Brian "Cody" Prosser, 28, Frazier Park, Calif.; Master Sgt. Jefferson Donald Davis, 39, Watauga, Tenn.; and Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Petithory,
32, Cheshire, Mass., killed in Afghanistan when a U.S. bomb missed its target.

_Nov. 29: Pvt. Giovany Maria, 19, New York, shot to death in Uzbekistan, where about 1,000 members of the Army's 10th Mountain Division were stationed.
Officials say death under investigation, not result of enemy action.

_Nov. 25: CIA officer Johnny "Mike" Spann, 32, of Winfield, Ala., killed by rioting prisoners at Mazar-e-Sharif. First American killed in action in Afghanistan.

_Nov. 7: Sailor Bryant L. Davis, 20, of Chicago, a fireman apprentice, declared dead after he fell overboard from an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.

_Oct. 19: Army Rangers Pfc. Kristofor Stonesifer, 28, Doylestown, Pa., and Spc. Jonn J. Edmunds, 20, Cheyenne, Wyo., killed in crash of Black Hawk helicopter
in Pakistan.

_Oct. 10: Air Force Master Sgt. Evander Earl Andrews, 36, Solon, Maine, killed in a heavy-equipment accident in the northern Arabian peninsula. The first death in
the campaign.