Commandos await orders to hunt down Osama

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, OCT. 11. The U.S. has unleashed very heavy attacks on the Taliban militia with land and sea-based planes and jets pounding targets in and around Kabul round the clock for the fifth day in a row.

Crack commandos of the U.S and Britain are on the ground inside Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries. Some 1000 troops of the U.S. Mountain Division have already been moved to Uzbekistan and are awaiting orders. The impression is that these forces will be joined by other specialised units in hunting down Osama, the Al-Qaeda members and senior leadership of the Taliban.

An assortment of attack helicopters is being assembled to launch a ferocious attack, night and day. The special forces will be moved by UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopters and the AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.

The U.S. Defence Secretary, Mr. Donald Rumsfeld, did not agree to the suggestion that today's attacks on Afghanistan were more intensive than the past four days. ``There is still an air defence threat''.

Reports here speak of direct hits on a number of military installations, including a Taliban military academy and an unspecified number of terrorist training camps. The U.S. firepower has also been directed towards Kandahar.

The Defence Secretary said if the American air strikes were helping the Northern Alliance, it was ``all to the better''. Mr. Rumsfeld also brushed aside the Taliban contention that civilians were being targeted. ``The U.S. does not target civilians,'' he said even while taking a swipe at the Taliban for making this accusation when the militia's ``practice and livelihood'' was one of targeting civilians.

Meanwhile, at a memorial service at the Pentagon for those who perished when a commercial airliner was hijacked and slammed into the building on September 11, the President, Mr. George W. Bush, lashed out at the Taliban and the Al-Qaeda.

``Today we are a nation awakened to the evil of terrorism and determined to destroy it. That work began the moment we were attacked and it will continue until justice is delivered,'' he said.

``The Taliban allied itself with murderers and gave them shelter. But today, for the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, there is no shelter,'' Mr.Bush said, adding the Taliban was given a choice of turning over terrorists or facing ruin. ``They chose unwisely''.

Separately, the Bush administration has not commented substantively on reports that Osama bin Laden may have been arrested. Mr. Rumsfeld said he still believed that Osama is in Afghanistan. But there is a view that if things get too hot, Osama will take to his feet.

For the first time since the start of the air operations, the U.S. said its personnel had arrived in Pakistan and would be using the air bases in the country, including Jacobobad. Officially, it is maintained that the Pakistani air bases are being used for ``recovery'' purposes.

Mr. Rumsfeld said the ``full range of weaponry'' is being used by the U.S. jets including the ``big ones'' and the penetrators.

``Bunker Busters'' - penetrative bombs - are being used to ferret out terrorists and soldiers hiding undergound. It is learnt that the Pentagon is using the 5000-pound ``Bunker Busters''. One of the specific targets will be underground command and control centres in Kandahar. The laser-guided bombs have the capability to piece reinforced strongholds, including concrete, and bring about devastation.

The U.S. forces will also be using cluster munitions to target Taliban commanders, troop convoys and terrorists on the move. These are anti-personnel bombs that further dispense themselves into bomblets.

The Bush administration is making no bones of the fact that the offensives will get tougher and more intense as the military campaign gets more focussed.

For the purpose of moving the special forces, the Bush administration has moved the Aircraft Carrier, the USS Kitty Hawk. Military analysts are pointing to the fact that the Kitty Hawk moved out of its base in Japan without the full complement of jets. The USS Kitty Hawk will be the major staging area for special operations.

The first objective in the new phase is to use the softened ground and intimidate the Taliban militia with a view to engineering a revolt among ethnic Pashtun leaders. A second and military objective is to tear down as many terrorist training camps as possible.

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