Operation bin Laden begins - Hundreds of Pashtun fighters reach Tora Bora caves

UPI | December 5, 2001

[HAL9000]

JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Dec 05, 2001 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- U.S.-backed Pashtun forces marched into Osama bin Laden's secret mountain hideout in eastern Afghanistan Wednesday to capture the chief suspect in the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Officials in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad said hundreds of Pashtun fighters have already reached the Tora Bora caves where bin Laden and his lieutenants are reportedly hiding.

Copyright 2001 by United Press International.

[P8riot]

The only problem is that Geraldo Rivera is there. They'll probably only find another Coca Cola bottle.

[Alamo-Girl]

volley bump!

[Victoria Delsoul]

I was wondering if I could have another "QikPik" hehehe.

[RightWhale]

this time of the year

Is it cold yet? Haven't heard. Did it snow yet? Don't think so. The Afghan winter is vastly overrated, both in severity and in duration.

[colorado tanker]

Gosh, where ARE all those fanatical jihadis when you need them? Fellas, fellas, hey where are you guys?

[Fulbright]

Kabul is on the same latitude as Little Rock. I am sure it gets ugly at elevation and in the spring, with the atrocious road network they have.

The rest of the time, the climate is a lot better than it is in the upper Midwest.

[HardStarboard]

>>>but he's not going to just sit in the cave awaiting the troops. <<<

Please, oh Lord please, make bin Laden put up a fight so someone - don't really care who - can plug him dead. I don't want to have to deal with him in any court system; civil, military, world or interplanatary.

[RightWhale]

I am sure it gets ugly at elevation

No doubt getting stuck in the mountains during a winter blast is no picnic.

For plain cold, it is -26 in Fairbanks today, no wind, but it is expected to be above zero this weekend. It's not bad at all if you don't have to deal with machinery.

[VMI70]

Pashtun commanders in Jalalabad said the Americans have also asked them to repair the runway at the Jalalabad airport, damaged during U.S. bombings last month when the Taliban still occupied the area.

"The Americans apparently want to bring fixed-wing planes for a possible evacuation of bin Laden and other suspected terrorists," said a local commander, Hazrat Ali.

I wonder if we already have him...

[LaineyDee]

Seems like a nasty surprise could happen.

I'm afraid you may be right. I've had an uneasy feeling about this..... suspecting that they plan to use a dirty nuke... or ....have infected the caves with bio-warfare materials.

[csmusaret]

I don't forgive you. I am sick of running into this crap on every thread.

[crystalk]

Afghan winter is like Denver or Amarillo, Tex. You can go there in Dec or Jan and find it 60 deg F--

or you can freeze your you know what. All depends on what year, what day, what minute...

[Republic of Texas]

Example, Dallas, Texas. Last week, in the 20's and sleeting. Today, 70 degrees. Go figure.

[Calpublican]

He's not going to go quietly. Pray for our boys.

[Calpublican]

I'm worried that he's fled the country and has a booby trap set for our troops.

[crystalk]

Now, I hope for their sakes he is there and they get him.

But I do not think he is, not anywhere NEAR Tora Bora, I think there is only a 51% chance he is in Afghanistan at all, and if so probably in the south and getting close to where Pak, Iran, and Afg. meet, in the desert...

(psychic alert)...

[El Gato]

"The Americans apparently want to bring fixed-wing planes for a possible evacuation of bin Laden and other suspected terrorists," said a local commander, Hazrat Ali.

He's got that wrong, we just to give them flying lessons. Or maybe more correctly a flying test.

[JustPiper]

Big Bump from this Canteen junkie! Biggest addiction I have since I found FR!

[RightWhale]

He's not going to go quietly.

I would be willing to go in after him even if he has the place on a deadman switch. The ones going in are vastly better qualified to do the job, but I would jump at the chance.