Tora Bora Redux
Major offensive underway on old ground, old problems, unresolved. Fourth Rail and others with details:
US-led troops in eastern Afghanistan kicked off a major offensive Sunday designed to root out Taliban, al Qaeda, and Hizb-i-Islami-Gulbadin fighters hiding in southeastern Nangahar province. So far, the fighting has killed at least three American GIs, two of whom were Green Berets. Local government officials say up to 50 militants are dead with another 40 “under siege.” The fighting has forced as many as 100 families in the area to flee. Early reports say at least seven civilians have been killed. The US troops, augmented by the Afghan National Army and close air support, are targeting “hundreds of foreign fighters” who are well-entrenched.
More on heavy fighting, background at the link.
Interesting article here by an former Indian foreign service officer on US-Afgh-Pak-Indian dynamics, and how Karzai and Mush came out of that jirga.
Talk of reaching a negotiated end with the Taliban, as a local insurgent force, fine. Article notes many are simple folk. Others, very hard-headed. They may need some convincing. Meanwhile, there is the problem of foreign al-Qaeda. Back to Tora Bora, problem, as always on the Afghan-Pak border, is your hammer needs an anvil. Here is the report on docs about what a problem that’s been.
Topics: Afghanistan, Pakistan
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 12:02 pm on Friday, August 17, 2007
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