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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (113878)	9/4/2003 9:08:52 AM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

And in Afghanistan, it just keeps on keepin on: U.S. Forces Launch New Offensive In Afghanistan “They cannot pose a major threat to the stability of the country," Abdullah BAGRAM AIR BASE, September 3 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - U.S. aircraft bombed suspected Taliban hideouts in southeastern Afghanistan Wednesday, September 3, as the Afghan foreign minister said the militia no longer poses a threat to the stability of his war-torn country. U.S.-led Special Operation Forces and 10th Mountain Division troops backed by aircraft launched a fresh offensive in the Daychopan area Saturday, dubbed Operation Mountain Viper. Up to 1,000 Afghan soldiers supported by U.S. troops and aircraft have been engaged for more than a week in the major operation in the mountains of Daychopan district of Zabul province, 300 kilometers (190 miles) southwest of Kabul. Zabul governor Hafizullah Hashim said the suspected Taliban were surrounded and that fighting was continuing. "Taliban caves were bombed early this morning. There are no reports of fresh casualties on either side," Hashim told Agence France-Presse (AFP) from the Zabul capital Qalat, 60 kilometers (38 miles) south of Daychopan. "Some fresh Afghan forces have moved towards the caves from Qalat," he said. ‘Continuing’ A U.S. military spokesman said operations were continuing. "Coalition forces continuing their offensive operation near Daychopan as part of Operation Mountain Viper were engaged by an unknown-sized element in the vicinity of Daychopan," Major Ralph Marino said. "The coalition forces returned fire and contact was broken. There were no reported casualties or damage to equipment and no reports on enemy losses," Marino told reporters at the Bagram Air Base headquarters, 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Kabul. Unknown attackers fired five rockets at a U.S.-led military base near Gardez Tuesday, September 2, in southeast Paktia province, 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Kabul, but there were no reported injuries or damage. "Coalition forces are investigating the suspected launch sites (Wednesday) morning," Marino said. Maulvi Faizullah, a senior Taliban commander involved in fighting in Zabul, said a fresh wave of the group’s members had been deployed in DayChopan district to join up to 1,000 others who have been fighting in the area for the last eight days. The reinforcements were being led by former Taliban Education Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Faizullah told Reuters. They had been sent from Khost province in the east bordering Pakistan, Faizullah added. The U.S.-led forces confirmed between 43 and 67 Taliban fighters were killed in the past week, while Afghan officials said around 80 suspected Taliban and five government soldiers had died in the fighting. Southeast Afghanistan has been hard-hit by an apparent resurgence of Taliban fighters, and U.S.-led military bases along the Pakistan border regularly come under rocket attack. Two U.S. soldiers and four militants were killed Sunday, August 31, in a firefight in neighboring Paktika province near the Pakistan border. It was not known who carried out the attacks. No Longer ‘Threat’ In the meanwhile, Afghan Foreign Minister said Tuesday he believes that Taliban forces no longer pose a threat to the stability of his war-torn country. "They can hamper, they can try to alter how the situation in Afghanistan is seen, but they cannot pose a major threat to the stability of the country," Abdullah Abdullah told a news conference following talks with his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Martins da Cruz on Tuesday. "In Afghanistan the course of history was reversed as a result of the action by the international community, but they (Taliban) don't want to admit their big defeat," he added. U.S.-led forces launched an operation in Afghanistan in October 2001 to remove the Taliban regime, which harbored al-Qaeda network, from power. But some 20 months after the fall of the Taliban, members of the group continue to stage regular attacks on U.S.-led and Afghan government troops, as well as aid workers. The rising level of violence prompted Washington on Tuesday to bar U.S. diplomats in Kabul from any unofficial travel in the Afghan capital. The United Nations meanwhile warned last month that security in Afghansitan needs to drastically improve in order for presidential elections to be held as scheduled in June 2004. The U.N. is scheduled to begin a drive to register some 10 million Afghan voters in October 2003 but is concerned over the lack of security, especially in the south of the country. Abdullah said the government was doing everything it could to ensure the vote takes place as scheduled. "We are all determined to work hard and be on time," he said. The Afghan foreign minister was in Portugal to take part in a two-day international conference on terrorism which ended Tuesday