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The United States and the Global Coalition
War Against Terrorism -Afghanistan
A Chronology: October 21-31, 2001
September, 2001
October 1-20. 2001
November, 2001
November 16-30. 2001
October 21, 2001 As U.S. planes attacked Taliban forces north of Kabul, Secretary of State Powell said that he expected Northern Alliance forces to "start moving on Kabul more aggressively" and eventually "invest" it. He declined to speculate about reports that President Bush had directed the CIA to destroy bin Laden and al-Qaida or about the origins of anthrax outbreaks in the United States. He hoped that the campaign in Afghanistan could be concluded before winter and said that while "there is no place for the current Taliban mleadership" in a postwar government, Taliban followers had to be included. APEC leaders issued a statement condemning the September 11 attacks on the United States and agreeing on the need to deny terrorist access to money and arms and to expand cooperation between customs systems. Participants declined to comment about the U.S. air campaign in Afghanistan. President Putin stopped in Tajikistan while returning from the APEC Summit Meeting. He met with Burhanuddin Rabbani of the Northern Alliance and pledged that Russia would supply it with arms. He later said that Russia recognized the Northern Alliance as the only legitimate government of Afghanistan.
October 21, 2001 American special forces were yesterday involved in pitched battles inside Afghanistan after being parachuted into an area where Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the 11 September terrorist attacks, has been a frequent visitor. More than 100 US commandos and light infantry Rangers fought with Taliban forces near the regime's spiritual stronghold of Kandahar, the Taliban's spiritual centre - where bin Laden has been a frequent visitor - and a military airport 60 miles to the southeast. Some 20 Taliban soldiers were reportedly killed. US helicopters were seen over Kandahar again last night, apparently confirming reports of further attacks. The forces siezed intelligence from a complex which serves as one of the Taliban command and control compounds which they hope will reveal clues to the whereabouts of the Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar and bin Laden. After a savage 30-minute firefight, US troops also cleared the airstrip building by building. "We have accomplished our objective at the airfield," said General Richard Myers, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, last night. "We did not expect to find significant Taliban leadership at these locations," he said. "We, of course, were hoping we would, but we did not expect it, and we did not find senior Taliban or Al-Qaeda leadership." Other operations involving ground troops were imminent, he added. "We are going to have ongoing operations around the world." The general revealed that the US commandos came across stores of rocket propelled grenades, machine guns and ammunition and destroyed them. In Britain, Ministry of Defence sources said detachments of British Royal Marines could shortly be sent to the region. In the event of a long ground war, Gurkha regiments could also be called upon because of their experience of mountain terrain. It is understood that at least one SAS unit is already operating inside Afghanistan, but with orders to unite the rebel troops and attempt to encourage Taliban defections, rather than take part in direct action and in the clearest signal yet that a ground offensive was imminent, Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, said: "we have looked at a number of different options. Some of those certainly involve putting boots on the ground in Afghanistan in a number of different ways to achieve our ultimate objective of bringing Osama bin Laden to justice and his associates to account." In an unprecedented wartime public relations act, the Pentagon released grainy film taken by its own camera operators, including dramatic clips of night parachute drops showing troops jumping on to the airfield from an MC 130E Combat Talon and destroying equipment. The special forces were taken out by helicoptor at dawn after hours inside Taliban territory. The battle against Taliban militia in Kandahar began after troops boarded aircraft at the remote Pakistani airstrip of Dalbandin, 37 miles from the Afghan frontier. US troops began arriving at the base, the third now being used in Pakistan by the Americans, on Thursday, military sources said. They are believed to have acted with special forces troops aboard the USS Kitty Hawk positioned in the Arabian Gulf. Locals reported that helicopters began taking off from Dalbandin at 10.30pm on Friday and air activity continued until 6am yesterday. Army Rangers parachuted on to the airport were loaded armed on transport planes in nearby Oman. Two American military personnel were killed and five others were injured when a Black Hawk helicopter involved in support operations in Pakistan crashed at an airbase. Taliban claims that they had hit it were dismissed by the US. Two Rangers were hurt parachuting onto the airfield. "These soldiers will not have died in vain,' President George W. Bush said last night. "This is a just cause. The American people now fully understand that we are in an important struggle, a struggle that will take time, and that there will be moments of sacrifice." The American raids appear to have been a double-headed attack aimed at killing or capturing both Mullah Omar, the reclusive cleric who leads the Taliban, and bin Laden. Sources said five helicopters landed at the small village of Baba Sahib, in Arghandab district five miles north-west of Kandahar, the city which is the spiritual home of the Taliban. Omar has recently built a house in the village, which has already been the target of sustained air attacks. Afghan military sources said that he was not in the area at the time of the attack. Myers said the Taliban leader had lived in the command and control building the commandos raided. The raids signalled a new phase of the US-led coalition's war on terrorism, after 13 days of strikes from the air alone. Military sources in America and Britain said the lightning 'hit and run' raids would be the first of many and that British troops were now on standby to support further incursions. The Pentagon said American troops had been in the country for a few hours and had all returned to bases in Pakistan. The escalation has provoked a renewed exodus of refugees and sparked a new offensive by the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, which launched an attack on positions north of Karbul. The attacks also increased tension in the whole region, with Pakistan struggling to contain protests. Yesterday afternoon a bomb was discovered in the departure lounge of Islamabad airport. It was detonated in a controlled explosion. There were no injuries. There were also reports of a new anthrax outbreak at the House of Representatives in Washington. Bombing raids by American planes continued throughout the day yesterday with planes hitting Kabul, Kandahar and Herat. More than 30 aircraft were launched from the carrier USS Carl Vinson. In the streets of Karbul, tanks and troops were seen moving and sporadic bursts of gunfire were heard as troops apparently fired with small arms on planes flying low overhead. Witnesses reported that resistance was almost non-existent, with little anti-aircraft fire. The Islamic militia said that 900 civilians have been killed in the strikes so far, though there is no confirmation of the figure. The Taliban remained defiant last night, saying that they had successfully repulsed the US raid and that they might as well give up their Muslim faith as give up the world's most wanted man.
October 22, 2001 As U.S. planes attacked Taliban positions near the Bagram air base and Mazar-e Sharif, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld denied Taliban claims that U.S. helicopters had been shot down, prisoners had been taken, and that a hospital in He rat had been bombed. He also said that U.S. air attacks were now in direct support of Northern Alliance forces. During an interview for CNN's "Larry King Live," President Musharraf warned of wider opposition in the Muslim world if the U.S. air campaign continued into Ramadan. In his news conference, however, Secretary Rumsfeld noted that there were many instances in which Muslim countries had fought each other or other countries during religious holidays. Afghan opposition groups announced that they would meet in Istanbul as a first step toward forming a postwar government. The United States signed an agreement with Uzbekistan to help it clean up a site where Soviet biological weapons were tested on an island in the Aral Sea.
October 23, 2001 Defense Department spokesman Victoria Clarke admitted that U.S. planes had accidentally bombed a senior citizens' home near He rat and a residential district near Kabul but declined to comment on Taliban claims that the first attack had killed 100 civilians. After meeting with Security Council representatives, UN special envoy Brahimi announced that he planned to visit South Asia to meet with representatives of various Afghan political groups. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa visited Washington to meet with U.S. officials and Arab-American representatives. He condemned bin Laden as unrepresentative of Arabs or Muslims but said that Arab countries would oppose any U.S. attack on any of their number. Should there be a terrorist connection with an Arab state, Moussa said that the Arab League would seek a diplomatic solution to the problem.
ASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Oct. 24, 2001 In 1999, teams of Green Berets arrived at former Soviet garrisons outside the capital here. They were some of the Army's finest soldiers, they traveled in small groups and in the two years that followed they came and went every few months. The mission was straightforward: to train the army of a former foe, in part to prepare its inexperienced conscripts for skirmishes with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a terrorist group accused of setting off bombs in Tashkent earlier that year. The long-term goal was more ambitious. The Green Berets were one element of an accelerating security arrangement in which the two nations were laying the groundwork for more extensive military cooperation. In recent weeks this relationship has blossomed into the large-scale American deployment of Special Forces units and aircraft on what was once enemy soil. Years before the United States' war against the Taliban, at a time when the State Department was worrying over the dreary human rights record of President Islam Karimov's authoritarian government, the effort at military cooperation was already expanding, according to officials and military personnel from both countries. As Green Berets were familiarizing themselves with their new Central Asian partners, officials from the United States Central Command in Florida and the American Embassy in Tashkent were meeting with Uzbek defense officials, coordinating military programs. Soon, under a military education program that began here in 1995, more Uzbek officers were admitted to military schools in the United States, officials from both countries said. More American troops were attending training exercises in Uzbekistan's mountains and steppes. The United States also helped the Uzbek military and border guards acquire nonlethal equipment, including helmets, flak jackets, Humvee transport vehicles, night-vision goggles and radiation detectors used to search for smuggled nuclear material. Two weeks ago, the two countries announced an agreement that permitted American forces greater flexibility in operating from Uzbek bases, in return for assurances to protect Uzbekistan's security. And while the agreement stops short of being a mutual defense pact, it establishes "a qualitatively new relationship" that involves a long-term military commitment. The Special Forces training sessions have typically lasted a month, people familiar with them said. After repeated visits, the Green Berets have spent enough time in Uzbekistan that strong personal relationships have developed. One official said a few United States soldiers had married Uzbek women; another said that when the American buildup began in earnest a few weeks ago there were reunion scenes, hearty bearhugs and backslaps when soldiers from the two nations met at the Khanabad air base. "These things are like modern dating," said one government official familiar with the programs. "Sometimes you get married, sometimes you get a temporary restraining order. In this case, it seems like we're engaged and things are going well." Bahodir Umarov, a spokesman for Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry, said the interchange "is proving a fruitful relationship," adding, "The future is promising because we have a good potential for cooperating in this field." The rationale for these efforts was rooted in a complicated list of security concerns. On one level, the United States sought to replace some of Uzbekistan's affinity for Russia with ties to the West, and create a reliable ally near the Caspian Sea region with reserves of untapped oil. More immediately, the United States hoped to help Uzbekistan resist the violent Islamic fundamentalism that had taken hold in neighboring nations, and to ensure its cooperation in programs to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, two goals that have become more urgent of late. In pursuit of those aims, as the State Department was pressing Mr. Karimov to liberalize his government, the military was working with people lower in the ranks, embarking on policies and exercises that promoted personal contact between armies. "The United States has been interested in that area for quite a long time, and there have been quite a few exercises," said Charles Heyman, a retired British Army major who is now editor of Jane's World Armies, a publication that analyzes the abilities and operations of armies worldwide. "Some have been publicly disclosed and some have not. The real details are very, very hard to come by." The military relationship, part of a policy the Pentagon calls engagement, has not been without risks. On one hand, the United States was nudging a undemocratic leader into accepting a more democratic model for governing. On the other, it was flirting with the patronage-riddled military and police forces that fall under his command, and whose future loyalties and ambitions have been uncertain. But after the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, regional experts and officials said, engagement programs in Uzbekistan emerged as a case in which cooperation, at least for the short term, appeared to have reaped a strategic benefit, allowing different political cultures to align their interests in a tense time. "This is a region where personal contact is extremely important," said P. Terrence Hopmann, a Brown University political science professor who specializes in Central Asia. "If we had just shown up last month, wanting to use Uzbekistan's bases, it would not have been possible for things to go smoothly." Some American troops were involved in exercises in Uzbekistan as long ago as August 1996, according to the Department of Defense, although Uzbek officials say those exercises did not involve Special Forces. Rather, military officials said that under Gen. Anthony C. Zinni of the Marine Corps, the regional commander who supervised the military presence in the region until retiring last year, engagement efforts and Special Forces missions took much of their current shape in 1999. They have continued under the current commander, Gen. Tommy R. Franks of the Army. Several Green Beret teams have passed through the nation this year, for instance, and during the summer a Navy SEAL team also trained here. As part of the visits, Green Beret teams of about 15 members each performed their classic mission: training potential allies in the fundamentals of martial life, United States military officials said. They instructed the Uzbek military in marksmanship, infantry patrolling, map reading and the like, hoping to make the conscripts, who serve only 18-month enlistments, more capable in operations against the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which intelligence officials say has fielded combat veterans from the Middle East, the Balkans and Afghanistan. The Green Berets have not been used in direct action against the terrorists, according to two government officials and two members of Special Forces units who discussed the missions on condition of anonymity. The primary reason for secrecy surrounding each visit, they said, has been to protect soldiers from terrorist attack. Government and military officials also said that enrolling Uzbek officers in American military schools had also proved a productive investment. For instance, they noted that an Uzbek lieutenant colonel who attended the English-language course at the Defense Language Institute in Texas and also the Air Force's Command and Staff College has helped coordinate the United States military's latest needs in Uzbekistan. "Because of his background he knows the United States military and how it thinks, and he has been very useful," an official said. Since this program began in Uzbekistan in 1995, 30 to 40 Uzbek officers have taken part in it, and the United States has allowed more access to schools in recent years, one Uzbek official said. The engagement relationship has also helped the United States gather intelligence, analysts and officials said. Tashkent was the former command post of the Soviet Union's Turkestan regional command, and a collection point for electronic eavesdropping on China and the Indian Ocean region. Many former Soviet surveillance stations on Uzbek soil are now used by Uzbekistan, according to Jane's World Armies. Government officials said electronic information gathered about terrorism had recently been shared with the United States. Moreover, because Uzbekistan maintains an intense security apparatus over its citizens, it also has gathered intelligence on suspected Islamic terrorists or sympathizers from interrogations. That information is believed to be less valuable, however, and critics say it shows a troubling underside that can accompany allegiances with former Soviet nations, and the problems moral and practical that follow. By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2001 -- The war against terrorism is a new kind of war requiring different types of tactics, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has said. In this war, U.S. forces do not oppose an opponent's army, navy or air force. Rather they face shadowy bands of Al Qaeda terrorists and their Taliban supporters. Left alone, these terrorist groups have all the advantages: They can choose the weapons, the means, and the time and place of attack, Rumsfeld said. The only defense against terrorism is to take the battle to them. "How do you do that?" Rumsfeld asked during a Pentagon press briefing. "You don't do it with conventional capabilities, you do it with unconventional capabilities. And therefore, the United States and other countries in the coalition simply have to fashion ways to use the kinds of technologies that we have and the kinds of capabilities that we've developed over years to accomplish the task. And that means it's going to be a variety of different things, as I say, some that are open and some that are less open." It means that the military portion of the fight against terrorism will be carried by the "Shadow Warriors" of the U.S. Special Operations Command. Special operations forces have been a part of the U.S. military since before the United States was a nation. The Army Ranger Regiment, for example, traces its lineage to Rogers' Rangers of the French and Indian War. Today's special operations forces come from the Army, Navy and Air Force. While the Marine Corps has special units and capabilities, it is not a part of U.S. Special Operations Command. About 46,000 active duty, reserve and civilian men and women work for the command worldwide, said headquarters officials at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. All special operations forces share general characteristics including specialized equipment, training and tactics. These characteristics also include an understanding of the area of operations and, often, language capabilities. Finally, special operations forces are flexible in size and mission, and the personnel understand the political complexities of their missions. The Army has the longest history with special operations forces and the greatest number of them. The 75th Ranger Regiment is a direct action strike force equally skilled in day and night fighting. The Rangers can deploy rapidly at any strength. They're intended to get in, hit hard and get out. Like all special operations forces, the Rangers do not have a large logistical element. "Rangers Lead the Way" is a saying that grew out of the storming of the Pointe du Hoc, a line of cliffs off Normandy's Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. Once again they proved the motto true with their assault in Afghanistan on Oct. 19, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard Myers. Army Special Forces are known by their distinctive headgear -- the Green Beret. Started in 1952 at Fort Bragg, N.C., SF soldiers receive training across a variety of military skills. Each member can perform the job of every other member. The main mission for these soldiers is to train, advise and assist host-nation military or paramilitary forces in a variety of conventional and unconventional warfare techniques. These soldiers specialize in regions and learn the language and dialects of the people they work with. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is known as the "Night Stalkers." Based at Fort Campbell, Ky., the regiment employs state-of-the-art equipment to precisely land troops and provide airborne protection. Psychological operations forces also come under special operations. These units reinforce attitudes and responses in populations that support the United States. These soldiers also specialize in specific geographical areas and are sensitive to linguistic and cultural aspects of those areas. U.S. Army Reserve soldiers make up more than 97 percent of the civil affairs forces in the military. These forces cement a commander's rapport with civilian populations. They also are a traveling "city management team." Civil affairs personnel specialize in public safety, agriculture, economic issues and support to refugees. Navy special warfare forces are based around the world to give commanders a rapidly deployable small-unit capability. At the heart of these forces are the SEAL teams. Short for "Sea, Air, Land," these 16-man teams primarily deploy from the sea. The units trace their lineage to the "frogmen" of World War II. Special boat squadrons and units support the SEALs and provide other capabilities such as riverine operations, coastal patrol and support to more conventional Navy actions. Air Force special operations forces provide helicopter and fixed-wing capabilities across the special warfare spectrum. These "quiet professionals" provide precise firepower, clandestine infiltration and the ability to extract special forces. In addition, these Air Force teams resupply and refuel other special operations forces. The Air Force also maintains the airborne radio and television transmitters being used in Afghanistan now. Air Force special tactics teams and combat controllers provide combat control, weather, and pararescue capabilities. The U.S. Special Operations Command provides the special operations forces to the combatant commanders. "Each theater has a subordinate command dedicated to special operations," said a command official. At U.S. Central Command, for instance, the element is called Special Operations Command, Central. By Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2001 -- In the third week of fighting to oust Al Qaeda terrorists and their Taliban supporters in Afghanistan, a senior DoD official today said the conflict would be a prolonged effort requiring much patience. The Taliban and Al Qaeda forces "are proven to be tough warriors," DoD spokesperson Navy Rear Adm. John D. Stufflebeem told Pentagon reporters. "We're in an environment they are obvious experts in and it is extremely harsh," he noted. The terrorists are reportedly using Afghanistan's mountainous terrain to conceal their leaders and equipment. Stufflebeem remarked that he is "a bit surprised at how doggedly" Taliban leader Mohammed Omar and his followers "are hanging on to power" in the face of relentless U.S. and allied military assaults. However, their fall is a matter of "inevitability," he emphasized. U.S. and allied military efforts to remove Afghan and Al Qaeda terrorists will require patience, he said. "Terrorism and terrorists are a much different kind of threat than we've ever faced before," he noted. They "are the kind of people who want to survive to be able to rain their terror and fear upon others around the world -- and they are very patient." Terrorists apparently spent years putting together some "sophisticated operations that we have seen firsthand," he added. So Americans, too, will need patience and determination -- to destroy terrorists and their networks, he said. "This is going to be a long, long, campaign," Stufflebeem emphasized. "We are prepared to take however long is required to bring the Taliban down." On Oct. 23, he remarked, some 90 U.S. warplanes, including AC-130 Spectre gunships, struck five planned targets in Afghanistan, to include terrorist training camps, Taliban command-and-control centers, armored vehicles, and maintenance and warehouse facilities. He said he has seen news accounts citing Afghan refugees who describe seeing Taliban forces moving into residential neighborhoods and staying in peoples' homes and university dormitories, and using mosques to conceal their vehicles. "I think that is now a matter of fact, and we're getting it from open-source reporting," the admiral said. Stufflebeem said C-17 transports dropped about 34,000 humanitarian daily ration packages to needy Afghans and refugees, bringing to more than 785,000 the total delivered since the military campaign began Oct. 7. He also discussed a new, threatening development in the feeding program. "The United States has obtained information that the Taliban might intend to poison humanitarian foodstuffs" earmarked for Afghans and try to blame America, Stufflebeem said. Any report saying that the United States would poison humanitarian rations or other food donated to the Afghan people "is categorically false," he said. "We would never poison any foodstuffs. We are a humane people. We want to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need," Stufflebeem emphasized. "It is just beyond our comprehension that we would consider poisoning a food source."
October 24, 2001 At the Pentagon, Adm. Stufflebeem said that the Taliban appeared ready for a long struggle. Stufflebeem also said that the Taliban might poison food supplied by international agencies and blame it on the United States and were using civilians as human shields in efforts to shelter personnel and equipment from U.S. air attacks. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw visited Washington and met with Secretary of State Powell, who said that military operations in Afghanistan would continue through Ramadan. Powell appeared before the House International Relations Committee in his first congressional appearance since September 11 and discussed prospects for assembling a postwar government for Afghanistan. He said that the makeup of such a government was unclear, except that the Taliban would have no place in it. He expected the UN to play an important role. He also said that an airlift of food aid into Afghanistan might be necessary. The Presidents of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan agreed to open their borders mto UN relief supplies bound for Afghanistan. Over a thousand representatives of Afghan opposition groups met in Peshawar to discuss a possible postwar government. However, representatives of former King Mohammed Zahir Shah boycotted the meeting. Northern Alliance representatives also were conspicuously absent. The Turkish Government offered to host a meeting of Afghan opposition groupsat a time and place to be determined. Pakistani officials said that a U.S. air raid on October 23 had killed 22 Pakistani guerrillas who were fighting alongside the Taliban near Kabul. The dead were members of the Harkat ul-Mujaheddin, which also had fought Indian forces in Kashmir; their group had been placed on the State Department's official list of terrorist organizations in 1995. By Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Information Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2001 -- Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan are rolling out some age-old sleight-of-hand and propaganda tricks to hide their forces or to influence public opinion in their favor. Terrorist forces are employing "denial and deception" techniques in Afghanistan. They're hiding tanks and other equipment and supplies in caves, placing troops and military hardware near civilian populations and religious centers, and staging television news broadcasts in hospitals of alleged civilian casualties of the air war, a senior DoD official said Oct. 24 to Pentagon reporters. Denying information to an enemy or deceiving an enemy "has a long, long history" in warfare and politics, the official said. Information denial includes "key information about your military forces, leadership, the status of your country, the effect of the adversary's campaign on your country, its infrastructure," the official remarked. Denial techniques range from hiding in caves, as currently seen in Afghanistan, to erecting fake buildings. If denial is "hiding the real," then deception, he added, "is showing the fake." This, the official noted, could involve using inflatable balloons shaped like aircraft and tanks. The official remarked that terrorist attempts at public manipulation are "becoming very important in the world media arena, and something we all want to be aware of" in the Information Age. In this context, the official said, the Internet can be used as a handy conduit to spread disinformation. During the Gulf War, the Iraqi government frequently and falsely accused U.S. forces of desecrating Muslim holy sites, the official noted. In Afghanistan, he added, the Taliban regime is apparently moving military equipment and troops into residential areas or near mosques to either prevent aerial attacks or to coax collateral damage. The official showed reporters aerial photos of a destroyed Taliban helicopter situated some 20 yards from an Afghan mosque. Surveillance photos taken two days earlier showed no helicopter, the official noted. The helicopter "was deliberately positioned directly next to the mosque ... with the purpose of either tempting us to cause some collateral damage or preserve the helicopter from strike," the official said. The strategy didn't work. "The helicopter was destroyed, and the mosque was not damaged," he remarked.
October 25, 2001 President Bush met with Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Khalifa of Bahrain and designated Bahrain a "major non-NATO ally.' He also called Crown Prince Abdullah to thank him for Saudi Arabia's cooperation in the anti-terrorist campaign. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld took exception to a headline in USA Today that implied that the United States expected that bin Laden would escape. He said that the hunt would continue and would be eventually successful. During the daily Defense Department briefing, he said that U.S. air strikes were mainly against Taliban forces facing the Northern Alliance, and that a B-52 had carpet- bombed Taliban positions. In London, Prime Minister Blair briefed Conservative Party leaders on plans to commit British ground troops to Afghanistan. The U.S. Government formed a 100-member team in New York, to track the financial assets of terrorists. Most of the team would be from the Customs Service and had prior experience in tracking funds from drug trafficking and related activities. By Jim Garamone American Force Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2001 -- U.S. air forces continued to hammer front-line Taliban positions, Joint Staff spokesman Rear Adm. John D. Stufflebeem told Pentagon reporters Oct. 26. He said 80 aircraft struck in 10 target areas. These were mostly in the north in support of opposition groups around Kabul, but also around Kandahar to the south. U.S. Central Command forces under the command of Army Gen. Tommy Franks hit terrorist and Taliban command and control elements, cave and camp complexes, airfield and air defense assets, storage and supply depots, Taliban military forces in garrison and deployed and emerging targets in engagement zones. He said 70 carrier aircraft, four to six land-based tactical jets and four to six long-range bombers made up the strike force. U.S. forces also launched a small number of Tomahawk cruise missiles at targets in Afghanistan. Stufflebeem said that though the United States is supporting the Northern Alliance efforts against the Taliban, it would be wrong to say the United States has "meshed" its plan with that of the Northern Alliance. "We're sticking with our game plan, our strategy," he said. "Where it crosses with what the Northern Alliance wants, that's a good thing. But we're not going to adapt our game plan to theirs nor would we expect them to ours." He said he understands that Northern Alliance members may feel frustrated about the plans not meshing, but U.S. forces are supporting them. "But we're very focused on what we're after and how we're going to do that, and we'll do it on our timeline," he said. Other operations in Afghanistan included dropping leaflets in the northern region and around Kandahar, and several Commando Solo broadcast missions, Stufflebeem said. U.S. forces continued the humanitarian airlift mission with two C-17s dropping about 34,000 humanitarian daily rations in the north. The total number of these rations airlifted to Afghanistan now tops 850,000. British Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram announced in the House of Commons that Britain will deploy 200 Royal Marine commandos in support of the campaign against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network. Ingram said other Marines will remain on a high state of readiness to join the effort. By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2001 Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld answered media reports that said the United States might not get Osama bin Laden. "I think we're going to get him," he said during a Pentagon press conference. "The success of the mission is to stop terrorists from terrorizing the world and to stop countries from harboring terrorists. I suspect that will involve bringing those people, including UBL, to justice or bringing justice to them." Rumsfeld fell into the military habit of using an acronym for just about everything. He referred to bin Laden as "UBL." The letter U stands for Usama, another form of bin Laden's first name. He did, however, say getting bin Laden will not be easy. "It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. I suspect it's easier to change the Taliban leadership over time than to find a specific person," Rumsfeld said. "But we certainly intend to find him, and we're doing everything humanly possible to do that." The secretary also disagreed with reports the DoD leadership is surprised by how tenacious the Taliban is. "I guess it's all a question of what your level of expectation was," he said. "Anyone" who's watched the history in that country and seen the fact that the people who are still in that country and who still have power in that country seem perfectly willing to spend year after year fighting each other, one ought not to be surprised. "At least I'm not surprised that they are good at that task of fighting each other," Rumsfeld went on. "My expectation was that they would be determined and that we have to do what we can to assist the forces on the ground to defeat them." Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard Myers gave an operational update on Oct. 24 military activities in Afghanistan. He said roughly 80 American aircraft struck targets in nine planned areas as well as targets of opportunity. C-17 cargo aircraft also dropped about 35,000 humanitarian ration packs bringing the total rations dropped to more than 800,000. The information war continued as well, with Commando Solo broadcasts and leaflet drops in the north and northeast regions, Myers said. He said recent strikes "were again geared at degrading Taliban forces arrayed against opposition forces." Toward the end of the briefing, a reporter asked Rumsfeld what DoD can do to keep the American public firmly behind the war on terrorism. The secretary told him not to underestimate the American people. "They have a pretty good center of gravity and good judgment," Rumsfeld said. "Some people think that everyone has a concentration span of 30 seconds. I don't think so. I think people reflect on what happened on Sept. 11; they felt it very deeply. They recognize the threats that exist in our country to their way of life, and they do not think that there is an easy fix to this problem."
October 26, 2001 The Taliban claimed to have captured and executed Abdul Haq, a prominent opposition leader among Afghanistan's Pashtun community. Haq and two companions were apparently trying to persuade tribal leaders to defect. The Defense Department declined to comment on reports that Americans were with Haq before his capture, or that he had sought air support. State Department Spokesman Boucher called Haq's death "regrettable" but not a fatal setback to efforts to topple the Taliban regime. In London, Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram announced that 200 Royal Marine Commandos would be made available for service in Afghanistan, and that 400 more would be placed on alert. An 11-ship Royal Navy task force would join U.S. forces in the Indian Ocean after completing maneuvers near Oman. In Pakistan, President Musharraf expressed concerns that "anarchy and atrocity" would follow the collapse of the Taliban unless the coalition devised a "political strategy." The State Department issued its annual report on religious freedom in the world. The report criticized practices in Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan although it did not place them among states of "particular concern" (Iran, China, Burma, Sudan, Iraq, and, most recently, North Korea). It mentioned Afghanistan's Taliban, even though the United States had not recognized the Taliban as a legitimate government.
October 27, 2001 The Taliban claimed to have captured and executed five leaders and 10 soldiers of the Northern Alliance. Northern Alliance leader Rabbani confirmed the death of Abdul Haq. The London Sunday Telegraph interviewed Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, who said that he expected the United States and Great Britain to use the "war on terrorism" as an excuse to attack his country and overthrow Saddam Hussein. He predicted that such an attack would break up the coalition. President Bush signed into law a bill allowing him to waive sanctions imposed on Pakistan after General Musharraf's seizure of power in 1999. The Government of Pakistan announced that it had turned a suspected al-Qaida member over to U.S. authorities. Jamil Qasin Saeed Mohammad of Yemen was suspected of involvement in the October 2000 attack on the U.S.S. Cole in Aden.
October 28, 2001 Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld told CNN's "Late Edition" that the United States had been assisting the Northern Alliance with air strikes, would support occupation of Kabul by the Northern Alliance, and planned to continue the air campaign through Ramadan. When asked about civilian casualties, Rumsfeld noted that the Taliban was using mosques, schools, and hospitals to shelter military equipment and supplies. The "Army of Omar" claimed responsibility for the massacre of 16 Pakistani Christians worshipping in a Catholic church in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. President Musharraf condemned the attack. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers announced that Pakistan would open its borders to the neediest Afghan refugees.
October 29, 2001 Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III warned that more terrorist attacks could be expected against U.S. interests at home or overseas within the next week. After a meeting with U.S. Army General Tommy R. Franks in Islamabad, President Musharraf called for a bombing pause during Ramadan. In Washington, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld said that the terrorists "are unlikely to take [a] holiday" and observed that there were many historical examples of Muslim countries continuing to wage war during Ramadan. In London, however, British Secretary of Defense Geoff Hoon told reporters that a bombing pause would not be ruled out. The White House announced that President Bush planned to meet with President Musharraf at the UN General Assembly on November 10. The State Department announced the more than $1 billion in economic aid would be offered to "strengthen" Pakistan. During the Defense Department briefing, Rumsfeld said that U.S. planes were dropping ammunition to Northern Alliance forces. He did not rule out the possibility of establishing a forward base in Afghanistan. General Myers said that "We are in the driver seat," and that U.S. forces were setting the pace for the campaign. Rumsfeld also said that about 30 U.S. military personnel were serving as advisers to the Philippine army against Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels on the island of Basilan. Japan's Diet approved legislation that would allow its Self-Defense Forces to provide logistical support for the U.S. campaign against terrorism. By Rudi Williams American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2001 -- DoD spokeswoman Victoria "Torie" Clarke held an impromptu Pentagon press briefing this morning to give reporters "the top line" of what happened in Afghanistan Sunday, what's being focused on today and to run down responses to rumors and speculations. Noting that the United States continues to support the Northern Alliance and other opposition groups, Clarke said 79 air sorties in the areas of Mazar-e Sharif, Kabul, Jalalabad, Konduz and Bamian. The targets included Al Qaeda and Taliban caves and the Taliban military. Commando Solo radio broadcasts and leaflet and humanitarian ration drops continued around Mazar-e Sharif, Clarke said. Today's objectives include the continued hammering of emerging targets, the caves and tunnels, and Taliban armor and troop formations, she noted. Commando Solo, and leaflet and ration air drops are also continuing. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said in Oct. 28 television interviews that the United States is focused on the caves and that there are a lot of them. "'It's a complex system and we're trying to work through them systematically,'" Clarke quoted Rumsfeld as saying. Clarke parried reporters' requests for specific details on Enduring Freedom operations. "We can tell you what we plan to do, give a general sense of how we plan to go about doing it, but I'll leave the adjectives up to others," she said of military operations. "We've been consistent about what our objectives are and pretty clear about what we've been doing lately, which is going after troop concentrations, command and control and emerging targets where we find them. Asked about the second attack on Red Cross warehouses in Kabul over the weekend, Clarke said the strike was purely accidental -- a "different kind of mistake" from the first incident earlier this month. The military's information was incomplete -- attack planners knew the facilities were warehouses, but not that they belonged to the Red Cross. By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2001 -- After years of Taliban propaganda, the Afghan people are hearing another voice. At any time of the day or night, an Air Force Special Operations Command EC-130E Commando Solo II is in the area of operations and broadcasting news and information to the Afghan people. The aircraft fly a variety of missions. In Afghanistan, they're broadcasting music, news and information in the various languages of the country. These are radio broadcasts only. The planes are part of the 193rd Special Operations Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. They are based at Harrisburg International Airport, Pa. Army specialists in the language and customs of the area prepare the broadcasts. The capability allows U.S. Central Command planners to warn the Afghan population to stay away from Taliban and Al Qaeda targets. The broadcasts stress that the coalition campaign is not aimed at the Afghan people, but at the terrorists and their Taliban supporters. "We have no wish to hurt you, the innocent people of Afghanistan," reads one English translation of a broadcast. "Stay away from military installations, government buildings, terrorist camps, roads, factories or bridges." Another broadcast told the people of Afghanistan why the United States is attacking the Taliban and Al Qaeda. "On Sept. 11, 2001, thousands of people were killed en masse in the United States," it reads. "Among them was a two-year- old girl. Barely able to stand or dress herself. Did she deserve to die? Why was she killed you ask? Was she a thief? What crime had she committed? She was merely on a trip with her family to visit her grandparents. Policemen, firefighters, teachers, doctors, mothers, father, sisters, brothers all killed. Why?" The broadcast went on to explain that the attacks in New York and the Pentagon were on innocent people -- an act forbidden by the Muslim Koran. "(The terrorists) believe they are heroes, Ghazi warriors triumphing over the evil of the West," the broadcast continues. "However, the truth is they are murderers and do not represent Islam." Ghazi warriors are Muslim heroes from the early days of the religion. Ham radio operators can listen to the broadcast at 8700 kilohertz, said Air Force 1st Lt. Edward Shank, a spokesman for the squadron. The squadron has participated in operations in Panama, Bosnia, Kosovo and during the Gulf War. Their aircraft have been modified to not only handle radio, but television broadcasts. They can broadcast via tape or live. "If needed, we have the capability to take a speech by the President of the United States and beam it live via satellite to the aircraft, which then would broadcast it," Shank said. The name "Commando Solo II" also has meaning. Commando refers to the special operations mission, and Solo refers to the fact that the aircraft can go it alone, Shank said. By Rudi Williams American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2001 Pointing out that the Al Qaeda terrorist network crosses more than 50 countries, DefenseSecretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said the task is to go after it, and the Taliban, "until Americans can go about their lives without fear." Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard Myers spoke to the press Oct. 29. "We didn't start the war, the terrorists started it when they attacked the United States, murdering more than 5,000 innocent Americans," Rumsfeld said. "The Taliban, an illegitimate, unelected group of terrorists started it when they invited the Al Qaeda into Afghanistan and turned their country into a base from which those terrorists could strike out and kill our citizens." Rumsfeld left no doubt where he believes responsibility for the war belongs. "Let there be no doubt, responsibility for every single casualty in this war, be they innocent Afghan or innocent Americans, rests at the feet of Taliban and Al Qaeda," he said. "Their leaderships are the ones that are hiding in mosques and using Afghan civilians as human shields by placing their armor and artillery in close proximity to civilian schools, hospitals and the like." As the campaign against terrorism enters its fourth week, coalition forces continue strikes against Taliban and Al Qaeda targets throughout Afghanistan, the secretary said. "Our goal is not to reduce or simply contain terrorist acts, but is to deal with it comprehensively," he said. "We don't intend to stop until we've rooted out terrorist networks and put them out of business. Not just in the case of the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, but other networks as well." But Rumsfeld reiterated that eradicating worldwide terrorism wouldn't happen overnight. "It's a marathon, not a sprint," he told reporters. "It will be years, not weeks or months." Victory will not come without a cost, he said. "[War is] ugly. It causes misery, suffering and death, and we see that everyday," he said. "Brave people give their lives for this cause. Needless to say, innocent bystanders can be caught in crossfire." Rumsfeld said at every press briefing he and Myers are asked to respond to Taliban accusations about civilian casualties, much of it unsubstantiated propaganda. "There are instances where there are unintended effects of this conflict and ordnance ends up where it should not," he said. "That's true of every conflict. "As a nation that lost thousands of innocent civilians on Sept. 11, we understand what it means to lose fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters," Rumsfeld said. But no nation in history has done more to avoid civilian casualties than the United States, he said. "Every day in the midst of war, Americans risk their lives to deliver humanitarian assistance and alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people," he said. "When the Taliban issue accusations of civilian casualties, they indict themselves." America's task is to put pressure on Al Qaeda and the Taliban to dry up their finance, continue the arrests and interrogations and to gather every scrap of information and intelligence possible, the secretary said. "It's to continue to force them to move from cave to cave and tunnel to tunnel," Rumsfeld said. "It's to continue to providing humanitarian assistance. And it's to find and stop the Al Qaeda and Taliban military leadership to keep them from continuing their terrorist acts."
October 30, 2001 Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld acknowledged that "a very modest number of" U.S. troops were in Afghanistan to coordinate air strikes and to provide logistical support for the Northern Alliance. He said that 80% of the day's attacks were on Taliban front-line units in northern Afghanistan. Senior officials said that deployment of air and ground units to Central Asia was being considered. Rumsfeld declined to comment about reports of possible defections or supply problems among Taliban forces. He also announced plans to visit Russia and Central Asia. General Franks, chief of the U.S. Central Command, visited Uzbekistan and met with President Karimov and senior officials. British Defense Secretary Hoon visited Washington and met with senior officials and members of Congress. He suggested that the United States should take Ramadan into account when conducting the air campaign. In Britain, Prime Minister Blair addressed the Welsh National Assembly in Cardiff, called the anti-terrorism campaign "a principled conflict," and pledged to use all possible means. Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, Chief of the British Defense Staff, said that the conflict might last 3 or 4 years. Brigadier Roger Lane of the Royal Marines recommended that his forces not be sent to Afghanistan until they received additional training and intelligence. In Pakistan, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Lubbers met with President Musharraf and Taliban Ambassador Zaeef in hopes of assuring the security of UN relief workers and supplies in Afghanistan. Lubbers urged the United States and Britain to show "self-restraint" to minimize civilian casualties. At the UN, Secretary General Kofi Annan also called for a bombing halt to facilitate the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid. By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2001 -- A "modest" number of U.S. troops are on the ground supporting the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Oct. 30. In a joint press conference with British Defense Minister Geoffrey Hoon, Rumsfeld said the Americans are on the ground only in the north of the country. "We've had others on the ground who have come in and out, in the south," he said. Rumsfeld said the U.S. personnel are uniformed service members who are assisting with resupply and communications liaison with some portions of the Northern Alliance. They are also "assisting with targeting and providing the kind of specific information that is helping with the air effort," he said. The presence of these personnel has improved the effectiveness of the air campaign against front-line Taliban and Al Qaeda forces, he added. DoD officials said the U.S. forces have been on the ground for only a few days. "It has taken time to get the kinds of help on the ground that can provide the specificity needed to provide good targeting from the air," Rumsfeld said. The effectiveness of the air-ground coordination has been uneven because U.S. forces are not currently with each of the various opposition elements in the country, he said. "It will be more effective in areas where we do have people working with those forces," Rumsfeld said. He said the ground commitment may grow. "It is true we have nothing like the ground forces we had in World War II or Korea or the Gulf War," he said. "Nor have we ruled that out." Rumsfeld met with Hoon to discuss U.S.-British strategies against terrorism. The British have been in the action against Al Qaeda and the Taliban from the start. The British have allowed U.S. forces to use the Indian Ocean base of Diego Garcia. British forces fired Tomahawk cruise missiles at terrorist training camps at the start of the air war. In addition, British aerial refueling tankers and reconnaissance aircraft are supporting U.S. strike aircraft. "Last Friday we announced that all of Britain's aircraft carriers re-equipped to carry helicopters, will join these forces along with an assault ship, two escorts, Royal Marines, naval auxiliary vessels and maritime reconnaissance and transport aircraft," Hoon said. This means about 4,200 British service members are committed to Operation Veritas, the United Kingdom's military contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom. By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2001 -- About 80 percent of the air campaign on Oct. 29 was directed against front-line Taliban and Al Qaeda forces, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Oct. 30. Air operations included targeting terrorist and Taliban command and control facilities, including bunkers and tunnels. Joint Staff spokesman Rear Adm. John D. Stufflebeem said the efforts included strikes in 13 planned target areas as well as against targets in several engagement zones. U.S. forces used about 70 strike aircraft. This included 50 to 55 carrier-based strike aircraft, and six to eight each of land-based tactical aircraft and long-range bombers. The strike aircraft are only the tip of the sword, DoD officials noted. The number of aircraft sorties doubles if support aircraft such as aerial refuelers, surveillance and combat search and rescue aircraft are included. Stufflebeem said the coordination between the pilots and U.S. ground controllers in Afghanistan has improved the bombing accuracy on front-line Taliban positions. The Northern Alliance asked for U.S. advisers. "They've asked for support, they've asked for help, they've asked for liaison for the air strikes," he said. "Any time you have people on the ground you will improve the performance." The risk of putting U.S. service members in place in Afghanistan is a calculated one, he observed. "We are always concerned about the safety of Americans anywhere in the world in a combat environment," Stufflebeem said. "We are taking an element of risk in putting combat forces on the ground, but it's a measured risk. It's a risk that's part of a plan. "In any conflict, to assure an outcome, you have to take risk. Certainly our forces on the ground ... are going to be a concern to commanders who are responsible for them." Stufflebeem said the Oct. 29 effort included leaflet drops in the north and east of the country and continued Commando Solo II broadcast missions. "Two C-17s delivered 34,000 humanitarian daily rations yesterday and brought total to date to 990,000," he said. "If drops go as scheduled today we should reach more than 1 million."
October 31, 2001 General Franks met with Northern Alliance Gen. Mohammed Fahim in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to discuss further military cooperation. Meanwhile U.S. air attacks included a B-52 strike against Taliban positions near Bagram. Admiral Stufflebeem said the preferred term for such an attack was "long stick" rather than "carpet bombing." The Defense Department announced that reserve call-ups would exceed 50,000.Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld would leave on November 2 to visit Moscow and various countries near Afghanistan. USAID announced that it would supply the UN and other humanitarian agencies with $11.2 million to buy up to 30,000 tons of wheat from Central Asian countries for relief in Afghanistan. Administrator Andrew Natsios briefed President Bush on the impending food crisis in Afghanistan. The European Union agreed to reinterpret its understanding of UN sanctions against Afghanistan so that arms could be supplied to opponents of the Taliban. Saudi Arabia announced that it would freeze the assets of 66 persons and organizations on the U.S. list of sponsors of terrorism. The U.S. Mission at the UN rejected a French proposal to seek Security Council condemnation of the anthrax attacks in the United States on the grounds that there was no clear proof that the attacks were of foreign origin. In Kabul, Taliban spokesman Amir Khan Muttaqi said that negotiations with the United States were possible if it provided proof of bin Laden's involvement in the September 11 attacks.
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