Posted on 09/21/2006 12:00:30 AM PDT by jdm
WASHINGTON (RTRS): Nato’s southern Afghanistan offensive this month killed 1,000 to 1,500 Taleban fighters, a large chunk of the entire force, passing a major test on the battlefield, its top operational commander said on Wednesday. Gen. James Jones, Nato’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, also said alliance allies have committed to provide at least 2,000 of the roughly 2,000-2,500 extra troops he sought to bolster the 20,000-strong Nato force in Afghanistan.
“There are some countries that I’m not free to announce that are going to make some contributions in the near future,” the US Marine Corps general told a Pentagon briefing. Jones provided a higher enemy death toll than Nato previously had given for the two-week Operation Medusa offensive, which ended last weekend. The commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan said on Sunday Nato and Afghan troops had driven Taleban insurgents out of the Panjwai district, near Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.
Asked how many Taleban fighters were killed, Jones said, “I would say it’s probably somewhere in the neighborhood of around 1,000. ... If you said 1,500, it wouldn’t surprise me. But I think that’s a fair number.” Nato had said more than 400 insurgents were killed. The Taleban denied such losses. Five Canadians and 14 Britons also died in the operation. Jones said 20,000 villagers were displaced.
Canadian, British and Dutch soldiers are leading a Nato push into the south, the most lawless part of Afghanistan, and have faced a more aggressive Taleban than expected. “I think a major test was passed in Medusa,” Jones said. “There are a lot of people out there that said, ‘Will Nato fight? Won’t they fight?’” Jones said the Taleban “suffered a tactical defeat in the area where they chose to stand and fight,” and was forced to retreat, but: “I don’t think they’ve been totally defeated.”
Jones said the Taleban force in Afghanistan numbers 3,000 to 4,000 “hard-core” fighters, not including others paid as “weekend warriors.” Jones appealed to Nato allies on Sept 7 to send 2,000 to 2,500 more troops to reinforce the Nato force that has moved into the south. The appeal initially went unheeded, but Jones announced on Wednesday “we will go beyond the 2,000 manpower figure” when counting troop pledges made publicly and other pledges that Jones declined to detail. Poland said last week it would send 1,000 more troops early next year. Romania said on Monday it will send 200 to the south next month.
Also: UNITED NATIONS: Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned Wednesday of increased Islamophobia in Western countries, while insisting his country remained committed to building understanding between faiths. “We remain deeply concerned at the increased incidence of Islamophobia in the West. This trend does not bode well for the cause of building understanding and cooperation across civilisations,” he said, addressing the United Nations.
“As a Muslim nation, Afghanistan is committed not only to safeguarding the interests of our holy faith but also to building bridges of understanding and friendship among followers of all faiths,” he added. The Sept 11, 2001 attacks, carried out by al-Qaeda militants, and ensuing US-led military operations in Muslim Afghanistan and Iraq, have left deep and enduring rifts between Muslim nations and notably the United States.
US support for Israel in its conflicts with the Palestinians and Lebanese militia Hezbollah together with Washington’s leading stance against Iran have further led critics to accuse the United States of waging a “crusade” against Islamic states. (AFP)
Damn good news, if you ask me!
A good start, do that again!
And we're only 2/3 of the way through the month! Maybe another 700-800 before October! :O)
Hip, hip hooray! :) Hip, hip hooray! :) Thanks very much to the hard working/fighting, underpaid good guys.
Damn good news, for sure!
There's only about a billion more to go!
SWEEEEEEEEEET!
Well chuckles, you gotta start somewhere.
And how many in the West do we think are increasingly concerned about Westernophobia that emanates from the Islamists? Or, to be more explicit, the desire of Islamists to wipe our faces off the earth.
My son just came back from Afghanistan. He was pretty pesimistic about the European's willingness to fight. I can't wait to get his reaction to this good news.
OOOOO-RAH!
Keep up the good work, US and NATO coalition forces!
A.A.C.
About time I heard some good news. Good job troops!
Karzai announced a couple of days ago that there are two types of Taliban.
One is composed of true sons of Afghanistan motivated by love of country. The other is made up of those influenced by Al Qaeda and "foreign intelligence organizations" (AKA Pakistan's ISI).
Karzai appears to be offering an olive branch to the hometown boys. One of the big Afghan Taliban leaders, his name is escaping me right now unfortunately, stated that he was willing to negotiate with Karzai's Kabul crowd, but all foreign troops had to leave the country as a condition for those talks to begin.
Anyway, maybe the slaughter down in Helmand and Kandahar provinces has convinced some of the more lucid members of Karzai's "good Taliban" that it could be time for a chat. The Canadians and other Allied forces put a serious hurt on them.
Tom Daschle is saddened, deeply saddened.
DAMN GOOD news, j! I like those numbers. Still a very long way to go, though.
US support for Israel in its conflicts with the Palestinians and Lebanese militia Hezbollah together with Washington’s leading stance against Iran have further led critics to accuse the United States of waging a “crusade” against Islamic states."
Well Karzai, my friend........maybe, just maybe, you and your ilk should be focusing on WHY we can't stand your so-called "religion". Maybe you and the rest of the Muslim world need to take a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong, hard look in the mirror and see all the misery, death, horror, maimings, fear, and hatred your "faith" has spread across the globe.
Gee. Wonder why you sense "Islamophobia", bud. Truth is? You ain't seen NOTHIN' yet, pal.
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