Report: U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan

Reuters | 9/28/01

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. special forces have been in Afghanistan for two weeks searching for Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the airborne assaults on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, USA Today reported on Friday.

Citing unidentified senior U.S. and Pakistani officials, the newspaper said U.S. commandos arrived in Pakistan on Sept. 13 -- two days after the attacks -- and began moving into Afghanistan with orders to capture or kill the Saudi-born Islamic militant, or pin him down until the United States can launch air strikes.

Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke refused to comment on the front-page story. The Pentagon was not making any comment on operations, she said.

Officials have said the U.S. "war on terrorism," declared after the terror attacks on New York and Washington in which nearly 6,500 people are dead or missing, would be an unconventional battle in which commandos could play a key role.

The newspaper, citing Pentagon officials in Washington and Pakistani military officials with direct knowledge of the operations, said U.S. special operations forces had landed in the Pakistani cities of Peshawar and Quetta.

Teams of three to five soldiers, supported by Black Hawk MH-60K helicopters based outside Afghanistan, began deploying into the country to locate bin Laden, concentrating their searches in caves and underground bunkers in southwest Afghanistan near Kandahar, the newspaper said, citing senior U.S. and Pakistani officials.

USA Today said the elite troops were having trouble finding bin Laden and had asked other nations for intelligence help.

Quoting U.S. officials, it said several elite military units were involved in the effort to find bin Laden, including the Army's Green Berets, Navy SEALS and the British Army's Special Air Services.

Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited.

[Vindibudd]

Osama Bin Ladin: A dead man walking.

[TheDon]

Sniff, sniff...what's that smell? Ladin has crapped his pants! Ewwwwww...

[Ymani Cricket]

the newspaper said U.S. commandos arrived in Pakistan on Sept. 13

Special Forces - ready to be deployed anywhere in the world within 18 hours. Get 'em boys!

Like we keep saying, we may not SEE anything for awhile.

[2Jedismom]

Oh, if this is true, I hope they are careful...the place is loaded with land mines, from what I understand. Is there a way to detect land mines? Other than stepping on one?

[Lady In Blue]

Thanks kattracks! Sure hope they find this TERRORIST!

[Reagan Man]

Let's hope its true and we get Bin Laden real soon.

Justice will prevail!

[Frankiedi]

Strikes based on precise intelligence, gathered through a network of these bases, will be the key difference between Operation Enduring Freedom against Afghanistan from Operation Desert Storm in Iraq that claimed thousands of innocent lives.

[dalebert]

Wonder who leaked this?

[LarryLied]

Yeah right. We'll bring this these people to justice.

Bush is doing nothing.

It is all a con.

[rintense]

Let's see... they got there on the 13th. It's now the 27th. Why haven't they foud him yet? Sheesh. It's not as if every man over there has a beard, and wears a robe and turban.

[Lady In Blue]

Pure nonsense! He's doing all than he can do.What would you do?

[Hammerhead]

"Oh, if this is true, I hope they are careful...the place is loaded with land mines, from what I understand. Is there a way to detect land mines? Other than stepping on one? "

Yes, provide a post on Free Republic on how much you hate HTML.

[Registered]

Larry, if you don't have anything intelligent to say...well, don't say it okay?

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

One big difference already is the number of innocent casualties already suffered in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania. You didn't intentionally forget about those, did you?

[Hammerhead]

"Let's see... they got there on the 13th. It's now the 27th. Why haven't they foud him yet? Sheesh. It's not as if every man over there has a beard, and wears a robe and turban. "

Open up a 7-Eleven and post a 'NOW HIRING' sign. He's bound to show up soon or later.

[M. Thatcher]

Thousands of innocent lives. Hmmm. Perhaps you weren't near a television on September 11. Or any day since.

[randog]

Is there a way to detect land mines? Other than stepping on one?

Yeah, you round up Taliban soldiers and march them in front of you. Single file, preferably--they last longer that way.