A miss that may cost U.S. dear

WASHINGTON, OCT. 14. This is one miss that may cost the United States dear. It appears that on the very first night of the U.S. attacks in Afghanistan, the American forces had the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, in their gun-sights, but failed to kill him as the rules of engagement did not permit it. According to a report in the New Yorker magazine, filed by well-known investigative journalist, Mr. Seymour Hersh, an unmanned `Predator' reconnaissance aircraft, operating in the Kabul area, located a convoy carrying Mullah Omar as he fled the Capital.

The `Predator', which is armed with two anti-tank missiles, could have been used to eliminate the Taliban leader. But under the rules of engagement in effect on Sunday night, the CIA could not order such a strike, the report said. It was instead decided to target a few cars in front of the building, in a bid to scare Mullah Omar.

- PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Overthrow Taliban, says Naipaul
Next     : Terrorism has hurt Kashmir cause: Benazir