Taliban initiate onslaught to regain Mazar-i-Sharif

paknews.com ^ | 11/15/2001 | Pakistan News Service (PNS)

[Smogger]

KANDAHAR, Nov 15 (PNS): Taliban have launched an offensive on Mazar-i-Sharif as reports pouring in indicate clashes between Taliban and Northern Alliance soldiers in the suburbs of the strategic city which fell to the opposition forces just a few days ago.

The disclosure was made by a correspondent of Al-Jazeera TV, Al-Shawli talking to journalists here Wednesday after arriving from Kandahar. He told that Taliban are giving tough time to the Northern Alliance troops and seems to be in no mood to give up.

He however expressed concerns over deteriorating conditions in the city as hospitals are

running out of medicines and people are exposed to tremendous hardships. The Al-Jazeera

correspondent told that the opposition could only capture the Namroz air port, located 20 km from Kandahar, for ten minutes after which the were forced to retreat by Taliban who appeared to have chalked out a fresh war strategy.

Replying to a query, he told that after destruction of its office at Kabul, Al-Jazeera TV has shifted its office to Kandahar.

[Smogger]

What we have here is a very fluid situation.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Yes, I suppose we can just trust what al Jazeer says. Suuure.

[majordomo]

Sounds like a target-rich environment. Wonder if those A-10's scheduled to fly out of that base in Tajikistan are ready to roll yet?

[Recovering_Democrat]

ooooooooooooooh, the taliban are trying to regain Mazar-i-sharif! ooooooooooooooooooh, we're SCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARED.

[cyberaxe]

.....they are just p!ssed off cause we bombed their crappy tv station.....

[RetiredArmy]

Yea, but they still have an entire network here in the USA working for them, the Taliban News Network (CNN).

[Paleo Conservative]

So, are they massing together to make themselves into easier targets for coalition aircraft?

[Conservababe]

Thanks for adding such depth to the discussion.

[veryconernedamerican]

yup, that was the best thing ever when they bombed that bast*rd radio station. any time the taliban try to fight, we have more bombs for them, this could get pretty funny. the next couple of weeks will tell alot.

[cyberaxe]

.....if i was CNN.....

.....i would keep an eye on those caps flying over here.....

.....one of our guys might just say.....

.....oops!.....

[Travis McGee]

By the time we hear of them, they have been flying for days.

(I hope.)

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Al-Jazeera TV?

[aomagrat]

So the taliban are trying to retake Mazar-i-Sharif. What's going to happen to all of those men who shaved their beards? I'd bet the fake beard business is going to take off. The movie "Life of Brian" comes to mind.

[Faraday]

The disclosure was made by a correspondent of Al-Jazeera TV, Al-Shawli talking to journalists here Wednesday after arriving from Kandahar.

What sense does this make in an article with a Kandahar by-line?

[Dr.Deth]

No, no, no... this is being misreported. They are trying to gain an upper hand against Omar-i-Sharif, who is playing East.

[wideawake]

Well, their escape is cut off and they have no supply lines and probably limited ammo.

Their only hope is probably to punch through Mazar in order to join up with Taliban units in Konduz or to get to the mountains south of Mazar in order to escape.

There is no sense in them retaking Mazar just for the sake of retaking Mazar. The fact that the skirmishes are in the suburbs tells me they are trying to make an end run around Mazar in order to escape the NA.

[Smogger]

So, are they massing together to make themselves into easier targets for coalition aircraft?

Doubtful. Since they are battling alliance forces in what is described as a suburb. No doubt they have abandoned their heavy weapons and are fighting man to man. Kind of a sketchy report. I will keep my eyes peeled for confirmation though.

[Azzurri]

I thought we already defeated Al-Jazeera? ;-)

[bigjoesaddle]

Yea Recovering... this is serious stuff, stop insulting our intelligence with your low level diatribe and lets keep discussion on a higher plane of intelectual discussion...

So, Conservobabe...got any pics of you naked?

[dvan]

U.S. special forces hunted for Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) in Afghanistan (news - web sites) on Thursday, as 20,000 of his Arab supporters and Taliban protectors were surrounded in the northern city of Kunduz, facing the prospect of a fight to the death.

Many were reported to be Arab followers of bin Laden who feared they would be killed if they surrendered to the Northern Alliance troops that had cut them off in the city.

``There are 20,000 Taliban in Kunduz, many of them Arabs, and they are trying to break out,'' said one Northern Alliance official in Dushanbe, the capital of neighboring Tajikistan.

``They are desperate, they've seen what happens to Arabs when the Northern Alliance gets hold of them,'' he said.

``The situation in Afghanistan is part of a big plan including the destruction of the United States,'' Mullah Omar told the BBC Pashtun service.????????

The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press quoted Taliban spokesman Mullah Abdullah as saying bin Laden, ``has already decided that death will be preferable to being arrested by America.
It would be preferable to falling into the hands of the NA- probably much faster and cleaner!