Free Republic

NOW ZAD, Afghanistan I Signs of rebirth are growing in this former Taliban stronghold in Helmand province just days after U.S. Marines stormed it in a ground-and-airborne assault that caught its Taliban occupiers by surprise. In the once deserted bazaar area in the western portion of town, hundreds of men from nearby villages defy Taliban threats and clear debris from fighting in exchange for pay from U.S. troops. In the district center next to the main U.S. military base, more than 100 children attend ad hoc classes in reading and writing. The classes, initially started by Afghan-American interpreters working with...

Here is a video report on the progress of Operation "Cobra's Anger," launched by nearly 1,000 U.S. Marines today against the Taliban in the Southern part of the country. This report says a Marine source says the Taliban have been "caught off guard," and are "confused and disorganized." The Marines dropped into the area overnight, an area that has been a Taliban stronghold. . . . (VIDEO)