U.S., Britain attack Afghanistan

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, OCT. 7. The United States and Britain have launched major military strikes against ``carefully selected'' targets in Afghanistan.

From the Treaty Room in the White House, the U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush said, ``These carefully-targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime''.

The U.S. and Britain are hitting targets in Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad. The second wave of attacks against Kandahar has been heavier and more severe, it is said. The compound of Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban, has been targeted.

At the Pentagon, the Defence Secretary, Mr. Donald Rumsfeld, argued that the strikes were to complement the economic, humanitarian and diplomatic activity already put in place in the current campaign against terrorism.

One of the objectives was to raise the cost of doing business with terrorists, Mr. Rumsfeld said. The strikes are intended to create the proper conditions for a sustained campaign in the anti-terrorism front, he said.

The Pentagon said that a combination of land and sea-based aircraft have been used; as also surface ships and submarines. The first hits on Afghanistan saw at least 15 land-based aircraft and 25 sea-based jets taking part. A total of 50 Tomahawk Cruise missiles have been unleashed, it has been officially said. Mr. Rumsfeld said that there is no indication of any U.S. aircraft lost or damaged.

In Northern Afghanistan too there have been strikes with the targets being in Tahar, Kanduz and Mazar-e-Sharief. If the Taliban is dealt a major blow in these areas, it will be a shot in the arm for the Northern Alliance which stands to gain a lot of territory, analysts said.

In announcing that countries such as Canada, France, Australia and Germany have pledged cooperation as the operations unfolds, Mr. Bush said that the Taliban ``will pay a price''.

Mr. Bush called the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, this morning to inform him of the start of operations. The U.S. President also called the four Congressional leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives notifying them ahead of the strikes.

The first of the strikes came after the White House once again rejected negotiations with the Taliban on the detention and trial of Osama bin Laden on the presentation of ``evidence''. The White House on Sunday morning repeated what the U.S. President has been saying all along, including that Osama must be given up and the terrorist camps shut down.

The U.S. President also stressed that the ``oppressed people of Afghanistan will know the generosity of America and our allies''.

Military strategists are saying the initial strikes against specific targets are intended to soften the area as food and medicine drops are being scheduled. The Pentagon said that air drops will be taking place all over Afghanistan, especially in the non-Taliban areas.

The first of the attacks came by way of Cruise missiles from ships and submarines, followed by attacks by F-16s and other jets off the carriers and forward bases of the U.S. It is believed that the heavy set B-52s capable of launching Cruise missiles and smart munitions have also been used.

The strikes are expected to continue and gather intensity as the hours go by. Apart from the B-52s, the B-1 and the Stealth aircraft, the B-2 are also seeing action.

The first targets were wide-ranging sites - air defence and command centres, communications systems, electrical grids and any facilitiy that could be used in a hostile fashion by the Taliban. The Pentagon will also go after what is left of the Taliban Air Force, it is said.

Independently reports are also trickling in of the Northern Alliance starting an offensive of its own against the Taliban. The Northern Alliance has been egged on in recent weeks by the U.S. and information is that the Alliance has been militarily beefed up as well.

There are unconfirmed reports based on wireless intercepts and listening devices that many of the Taliban fighters are disillusioned and are blaming Pakistan for the turn of events. But Taliban commanders are apparently urging them not to break ranks at this time.

``We did not ask for this mission, but we will fulfil it. The name of today's military operation is `Enduring Freedom'. We defend not only our precious freedoms, but also the freedom of people everywhere to live and raise their children free from fear,'' Mr. Bush argued.

Five blasts in Kabul

AP, AFP report:

In Kabul, the first explosions could be heard about 8:57 p.m. local time (16.27 GMT), when it was dark. Five large explosions shook the city, followed by the sounds of anti-aircraft fire.

A Taliban official in Kabul contacted by telephone from Pakistan said: ``We are under attack. They bombed in the south of Kabul. Our guns are firing.'' The official, who gave his name only as Mudir, gave no further details.

CNN meanwhile reported explosions in the northeast Afghan city of Jalalabad and the southern city of Kandahar, where the headquarters of the ruling Taliban militia is located. The Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, lives in Kandahar.

The private, Islamabad-based Afghan Islamic Press agency quoted the Taliban as saying U.S. planes had bombed areas near the Kabul airport in the northern part of the city.

The agency said there were no details of casualties and no reports of damage to the city itself. It added, however, that ``huge smoke is rising near Kabul airport.''

In London Prime Minister Tony Blair said that British missile- firing submarines were taking part in the operations. He said the submarines had joined in a U.S.-led attack on Taliban military facilities and forces in Afghanistan at the request of Washington. He said British warplanes would join the attack in the next few days.Mr. Bush had warned the Taliban on Saturday that ``time is running out'' for them to hand over Osama and top leaders of his Al-Qaeda terrorist network. The White House also rejected a last-ditch offer by the Taliban on Sunday to put Osama on trial in Afghanistan.

By Sunday, Washington's war posture had an air of finality. Senators close to the investigation of the terror attacks advised Americans to be especially vigilant about more danger at home, once military action began.

American troops have been streaming into the region for weeks. After the Defence Secretary, Mr. Donald H. Rumsfeld, visited neighbouring Uzbekistan on Friday, U.S. military forces started arriving at a former Soviet air base in Khanabad, about 90 miles (145 km.) north of the Uzbek-Afghan border.

During his overseas trip last week, Mr. Rumsfeld also said the U.S. military forces would airdrop food and other humanitarian help to starving Afghans - but only after officials were sure the Taliban's aircraft defences posed no threat to the humanitarian flights.

Mr. Bush said in his televised statement that he sent military men and women into action ``only after the greatest care and a lot of prayer.''

``To all the men and women in our military - every sailor, every soldier, every airman, every Coast Guardsman, every Marine - I say this: Your mission is defined, your objectives are clear, your goal is just. You have my full confidence. And you will have every tool you need to carry out your duty.''

The Democratic Senator, Mr. Bob Graham of Florida, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, voiced doubts earlier about whether the U.S. had much interest in the course of criminal justice when it comes to Osama.

``Taking out'' Osama would be a significant step in the campaign against terrorism, he said. Asked what that meant, Mr. Graham said, ``That may mean capture but it probably means death.''Mr. Abdullah, the spokesman for the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, had predicted on Sunday that U.S. military action would come ``very soon.'' Asked how soon, he looked at his watch and asked, ``What time is it now?'' Events proved him right.

Mr. Bush also contacted his French counterpart, Mr. Jacques Chirac, today to tell him the U.S. was about to launch attacks on Afghanistan, Mr. Chirac's spokeswoman, Ms. Catherine Colonna, said.

He had called Mr. Chirac to tell him of the impending attacks, Ms. Colonna said.

On Friday night, the French President held a special meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr. Lionel Jospin, the Defence Minister, Mr. Alain Richard, and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Hubert Vedrine, the spokeswoman added.

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