Posted on 10/31/2001 4:00:53 PM PST by Pokey78
AMERICA intensified its attacks on Taliban front-line positions yesterday, launching the first raids by giant B52 bombers north of Kabul.
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The appearance of B52s cheered anti-Taliban commanders, who have spent the past week deriding American "pin pricks", and raised their hopes that the enemy positions might at last collapse. As a B52 barrelled across the sky, its four vapour trails clearly visible, the whole landscape appeared to shake.
It sent down one salvo of bombs, setting off a series of at least 15 explosions over a distance of half a mile, before returning for a second attack. Previous air raids on the strategic sector of the Taliban front line guarding the approaches to Kabul have been carried out by smaller fighter-bombers which release one or two bombs at a time.
The attacks continued throughout the day, and commanders said that it was the most intense since America began bombing the front line on Oct 17. "This is the most successful day so far," said Alou Zeki, commander of a sector of the front to the west of the Soviet-built Bagram air base. "If it continues like this, the front line will collapse and the Taliban can be defeated."
The intensified bombing was apparently in response to criticism from congressmen that America was not making enough use of its military clout. The B52 Stratofortress was used in the bombing of Cambodia, to destroy Iraq's Republican Guard during the Gulf war and against Yugoslav troops in Kosovo.
It was used against Taliban and al-Qa'eda bases in the early part of the campaign, but until now has not attacked Taliban front-line troops. The Pentagon indicated that additional US forces would move into Central Asia over the next few weeks from where they could attack targets in northern Afghanistan.
Several thousand troops, including Green Berets, have been in southern Uzbekistan for some weeks. Independent observers in northern Afghanistan have said that US F-15 Strike Eagle aircraft attacking Taliban front lines have flown off towards Uzbekistan.
The admission that more assets would be moved into the former Soviet republic came after a visit by Gen Tommy Franks, commander-in-chief of US Central Command, who is running the US campaign. US defence sources in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, said a number of countries were providing "concrete, solid assistance to the war on terrorism" but were not prepared to acknowledge this publicly.
Charles Heyman, editor of Jane's World Armies, said the movement of further assets to Uzbekistan came amid signs that the Americans were preparing to set up a forward operations base in northern Afghanistan as a prelude to a ground invasion in the spring.
Yesterday's raids have long been sought by the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance to make up for their weakness in men, materiel and strategic location, as the Taliban control high ground on the approaches to Kabul. Northern Alliance officials have said repeatedly that three days of carpet bombing of the front lines would open the way to the capital.
But Alou Zeki was careful not to say when the march on the capital might begin. "I am glad they are bombing the troop concentrations, where there are no civilians to be killed," he said. "This is really weakening the Taliban." After the B52 raid, the whole front line - which can be silent for days - burst into life, with exchanges of mortar and machine gun fire.
There was a new buzz in the bazaars of the opposition territory that the phoney war might be drawing to a close. The streets seemed more warlike as soldiers adopted winter camouflage. There were reports that Russia was providing armour to boost the Northern Alliance's inventory. But no tanks have been seen crossing the icy pass through the Hindu Kush.
There has been great disappointment on the opposition side - and equal relief among the Taliban - that the American front-line raids have so far been relatively restrained. Reports from Taliban-controlled areas suggest that the militia are constantly on the move to avoid being hit.
Anti-Taliban commanders say they see signs of the enemy creeping back to their bases at night. But the air campaign has yet to deliver a blow that would persuade the Taliban that the balance of forces has turned against them.
MUCH
We have a generation of military & political Leaders who span Korea to Kosovo.
These people are NOT (TRUST ME) stupid or unaware of History.
"W" is NOT stupid (contrary to the LOUD opinions of the 'Libs).
The "Media" are being kept WAY behind the "Power Curve" on this one (again, "Trust Me,") &,I suspect, for good reason ("loose lips sink ships,").
Patience is required (I Hope)!
If I'm wrong, I expect flames of Biblical Proportions in a couple of weeks--but I STILL BELIEVE "The Adults are in Charge!"
Doc
I think this is so, and it brings up the question:
If Congressmen had not complained how little would the DOD be doing?
What are we paying these guys to do, if not to break things and kill people?
Doing acceptance checks and final trim checks on that machine is so awe inspiring that I can remember every time I crawled under those wings or sat at the controls. To feel that machine straining on the chocks I can attest to the magnificence of the design and engineering that went into producing this Airborne Platform. The following models that came later on after the "D" model just got stronger and faster. The Old Buff gets my vote and its just as impressive when it pulled up under our KC-135 to get a Drink! Those are real Heroes!; in this War or any War!
Yes it can, but this one made two passes. Still not a full bomb load, even with the decreased load the -H model can carry verses the old -D and -G models (-H's could carry more but would need the special external racks). I suspect the target wasn't big enough to justify dropping a full load all at once, since you have a minimum linear dispersal that you can't decrease.
Read this as "After you kill them all, so it's safe us, we'll quit squatting in the dirt and go take their positions."
Can't really blame them though, what with Powell telling them they won't be running things when this is over.
This one?
You don't need Snagit, just right click on the image and then left click "save..." on the mouse menu. You'll save some disk space that way and get a better image too.
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Hey Osama! Say hello to Allah!! Yahoooooooooo!!!!!
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