Special Forces gunship deployed to blast targets

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, OCT. 16. The U.S. has started a new phase in its air operations against Afghanistan by bringing in the services of a Special Forces gunship to blast targets in Kabul and Kandahar.

The White House has rejected a suggestion that there ought to be a pause in the bombing operations so that the moderate Taliban could convince the hardliners to hand over Osama bin Laden. ``The President is not pursuing such a course because he does not think it would be constructive. The President has given the Taliban ample time to respond...They had plenty of time, they chose not to act'', the White House spokesman, Mr. Ari Fleischer, said today. The standard refrain of the Administration in the last several days has been ``no negotiations''.

On the military front, according to reports here, the low-flying AC-130 has staged a series of fierce and punishing daylight raids and according to information received the night raids have resulted in huge explosions in the capital city and in Kandahar. The U.S. is also softening the ground in and around the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharief.

On Tuesday, American planes and jets targeted transport and fuel depots, military bases and airports. The compound of the International Red Cross was hit setting two warehouses on fire. But the White House has cast doubts on whether American jets were involved in this. ``...it's hard to say whether something was a result of anti-aircraft weaponry that was shot from the ground...or whether it was coalition efforts'', Mr. Fleischer said.

Taking advantage of the air attacks in a number of places, the forces of the Northern Alliance are getting ready to take over and the impression is that Washington will be providing air cover for their ground operation. The U.S. Defence Department has said that better targeting information would mean that American strikes could start focussing on the Taliban forces in the Northeast. That American planes and jets no longer need the night cover to fly missions anywhere in Afghanistan has also been stressed. The Pentagon has said that one missile site has escaped destruction and that the Taliban militia have several shoulder fired Stingers.

The role of the turboprop AC-130s which have seen action in Afghanistan before has been publicly acknowledged for the first time. The Pentagon feels comfortable using this low flying aircraft as it is confident that the air defences of the Taliban militia have been completely disabled.

The use of the high firepower AC-130s could mean that the start of the Special Forces' action inside Afghanistan is about to begin. Usually these kinds of planes are used for supporting ground forces or small units out on specific missions.

The stepping up of the air campaign and the impression that a full-fledged operation of the Special Forces is about to begin, is a signal from the Bush administration that there are no short cuts in the effort to catch Osama bin Laden and destroy the Al- Qaeda.

The administration and the Pentagon have brushed aside the Taliban's charge that innocent civilians are being killed as a result of the air raids. While acknowledging that there could be some unintended casualties, Washington has said that the Taliban's figures of hundreds is ridiculous.

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Section  : International
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