Stories from 2002-03-04

"The awkwardness of [Bush's] challenge was evident Monday, when U.S. forces suffered their highest death toll of the war in Afghanistan. Aides said Bush kept up with reports from the region but did not seriously consider canceling or postponing his trip or his attendance at a Minneapolis fundraiser for Norm Coleman, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate." [more]

"Retreating quickly from Zurmat by convoy, the journalists were first pursued by gunmen and then approached on the road by a man who appeared to throw a grenade at one of the vehicles. An explosion seriously wounded a Canadian journalist, who was later evacuated from a U.S. military outpost.
" 'We've had a lot of casualties,' one U.S. soldier said at the base, where the American troops appeared particularly on edge tonight. 'It's not safe here,' another said." [more]

"Backed by American bombing, hundreds of U.S. ground troops and their Afghan allies battled al Qaeda fighters in the rugged mountains near here today, Pentagon officials said. Afghan leaders and soldiers said the offensive suffered a setback on Saturday when an opening ground assault was stalled by heavy resistance." [more]

"During the December battle at Tora Bora, the American military relied heavily on the combination of its Afghan allies and small teams of Special Operations forces to prevent its foe from escaping. The strategy avoided American casualties but hundreds of Al Qaeda fighters, possibly including Osama bin Laden, got away. "In contrast, the new American-led offensive south of Gardez is markedly different. In the two days of combat, Afghan forces are carrying out most of the fighting on the ground. But in addition to the Afghan and Special Operations forces, hundreds of regular Army troops have also been sent into the fray." [more]

"Thirty US military personnel have been killed in the US-led campaign in Afghanistan, nine of them from hostile fire and the remainder in air crashes and other accidents, according to US defense officials." [more]

"The offensive is a fresh reminder that the US's military role in Afghanistan is not over yet. It raises new concerns about the fragility of Afghanistan's peace. And it underlines the continued need for concerted US attention to prevent a country ravaged by 20 years of bloodshed from falling back into the sort of chaos that turned it into a terrorist haven." [more]