Three Taliban held in U.S. Afghan offensive

Reuters ^ | 14 March 2004 | Unknown

[Cap Huff]

Sun 14 March, 2004 06:50

SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Three Taliban commanders have been arrested in a U.S.-led sweep of southeastern Afghanistan aimed at crushing members of the former regime and their al Qaeda allies, an Afghan army officer says.

At least 12 Taliban fighters have been killed in the week-old offensive which U.S. officials hope will snare al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Rebels fired rockets into the eastern city of Jalalabad on Sunday wounding two people, a Pakistan-based news agency said.

The three Taliban commanders were arrested on Friday in a raid on a house in Zabul province in a joint U.S.-Afghan operation, said General Fateh Khan, an Afghan army officer based in the southeast of the country.

U.S.-led forces were hunting a former Taliban provincial governor, Mullah Abdul Razzaq, when they caught the three, identified as Mullah Naimatullah, Mullah Saleh Mohammad and Mullah Baluch. Many weapons were seized, he said.

It was not clear how senior the three captured men were and U.S. authorities were not immediately available for comment.

Twelve Taliban fighters were killed in an air-strike on their truck in Kandahar province on Thursday, Afghan army officers said.

They were the first reported casualties in Operation "Mountain Storm", which began on March 7 and involves troops from the 13,500-strong U.S.-led force backed by air support.

Pakistan forces, helped by some tribal militia fighters, are sealing the Pakistan side of the mountainous Afghan border to stop militants fleeing into Pakistan's remote, lawless tribal lands.

The fresh campaign comes after a surge in militant attacks on aid workers and foreigners, as well as against Afghan and U.S.-led forces.

U.S. defence officials have described "Mountain Storm" as a broad spring offensive to hunt down al Qaeda fugitives, including bin Laden.

The push was timed to exploit improving weather in the region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where bin Laden is believed to be, they said.

Militants fired three rockets into Jalalabad, near the Pakistan border, early on Sunday. Two of them went off, wounding two people, the Afghan Islamic Press reported.

[Cap Huff]

FYI

[Spruce]

Smoke 'em out, boys! Get some!

[Betaille]

Headline 1: Al Qaeda attack kills 200 in Madrid
Headline 2: U.S. forces hunt down Al Qaeda leaders

It's time for the F'n Europeans to learn who their freinds are.

[Cap Huff]

Yes!!!

[Cap Huff]

Gary Cooper --- High Noon. This is one thing I fear. In movies the good guys win. In real life . . . . ???

[Spruce]

Headline 3: American forces continue to Kick-Ass.

[Betaille]

I can't wait for 911 to mean the number of times we Fried Bin Ladens body before sending him to France with a threatening note attached.

[Spruce]

I hope the kid that gets OBL stomps his head-in like a friggin rotten melon! If I was the man that smoked his nasty ass I'd get a tatoo.

[Dog]

Cap was this the raid north of Khost we have been speculating about?

The three Taliban commanders were arrested on Friday in a raid on a house in Zabul province in a joint U.S.-Afghan operation, said General Fateh Khan, an Afghan army officer based in the southeast of the country.

U.S.-led forces were hunting a former Taliban provincial governor, Mullah Abdul Razzaq, when they caught the three, identified as Mullah Naimatullah, Mullah Saleh Mohammad and Mullah Baluch. Many weapons were seized, he said.

It was not clear how senior the three captured men were and U.S. authorities were not immediately available for comment.

[Just mythoughts]

What, no rumors?

[Cap Huff]

I did not take it that way. This supposedly took place on Friday, but that raid north of Khowst was somewhat earlier in the week, wasn't it?

[Dog]

What are you talking about?

[Reader of news]

Next Friday, President Bush is going to address to the Nation from the East Room. He could announce the captures/deaths of OBL, Al Zawahri and Mullah Omar next Friday.

[Cap Huff]

Do you mean the one near Yaqubi? That was over a week ago:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1092300/posts?page=50#50

[Just mythoughts]

We had an all nighter a few weeks back with rumors flying that OBL had been caught.... the rumor soure was never identified, however, seems it was a call to arms from Iran.

We have actual reporting here of specific incident and there were no rumors about the who, what, when, where, and why of things.

[Just mythoughts]

We had an all nighter a few weeks back with rumors flying that OBL had been caught.... the rumor soure = SOURCE was never identified, however, seems it was a call to arms from Iran.

We have actual reporting here of specific incident and there were no rumors about the who, what, when, where, and why of things.

[Dog]

Where did you hear Bush is going to speak to the nation?

[Reader of news]

I've heard in a Reuters article.

[Reader of news]

Bush to Mark Iraq War Anniversary

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) will mark the one year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq (news - web sites) next week with two major speeches aimed at rallying the troops and shoring up public support for the occupation.


The White House announced on Friday that Bush will travel to Fort Campbell, Kentucky to address the troops on Thursday, March 18.


On Friday, he will give an address in the East Room of the White House before visiting injured soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The war began early on March 20, 2003, Iraqi time.


Bush is under fire over the failure to find the promised weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, his main justification for going to war.


Critics say the Bush administration has also not done enough to stem the wave of violence in Iraq, including coordinated attacks on Shi'ite worshipers that killed 181 people.


That won't be Bush's focus next week as he tries to put the best possible spin on recent developments in the run-up to the November presidential election.


Bush is instead expected to focus on the signing of an interim constitution by the Iraqi Governing Council as a step toward handing sovereignty back to Iraqis on June 30.