U.S. planes target Taliban frontlines again

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, OCT. 30. American bombers are once again focussing on the frontlines in Afghanistan; and according to reports, the Northern Alliance is all set to move towards Kabul and has shifted some of its elite troops to face the Taliban.

The U.S. planes, operating from four carriers in and around Afghanistan, and heavy bombers shelled the Taliban positions in and around Mazar-e-Sharif on Tuesday. The cities of Jalalabad and Kandahar also came under heavy bombing.

The Bush administration is said to be considering the establishment of a forward military base in Afghanistan. And personnel who will be manning the base are already in Uzbekistan. About 1000 troops from the 10th Mountain Division - stationed 130 km from the Afghan border - will be used in the new arrangement. The base will provide services to the Special Forces and elite commandos conducting operations inside Afghanistan.

As part of its strategy, the U.S. is using a variety of munitions to seal the entrance and exit points of caves where the leaders of the Taliban and the Al-Qaeda are hiding. The military officials are said to be in favour of using bunker-busters to destroy the caves and other underground facilities.

But the Pentagon has not formally said anything to a Northern Alliance request for carpet bombing of the Taliban positions. The opposition is clearly disappointed and is hoping that the U.S. will rise to the occasion and facilitate its movement towards Kabul.

Reuters reports:

An American airlines, Boeing 757, from New York to Dallas was diverted to Dulles international airport because of a threat, transportation officials said. The Federal authorities investigated the unscheduled landing after a passenger was said to have found a suspicious note on the plane. They said later that a search of the plane and luggage had ``turned up nothing.''

The incident raised concern in light of the alert issued by the Attorney General, Mr. John Ashcroft, warning of possible terrorist attacks against the U.S. in the coming week.

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