U.S. Says Taliban on the Run, 70 to 100 Killed

Reuters ^ | 9/5/03 | Yousuf Azimy

[TastyManatees]

U.S. Says Taliban on the Run, 70 to 100 Killed
Fri September 05, 2003 07:12 AM ET

By Yousuf Azimy

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Friday it was pursuing remnants of a large Taliban force in the mountains of southeastern Afghanistan after killing 70 to 100 of them in more than a week of fighting.

"We believe we have been very successful, we believe we have the enemy on the run," Colonel Rodney Davis told reporters at Bagram air base, headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan.

"From what we can determine they have withdrawn to some extent. There has been relatively light resistance in the last 24 hours, but we're not going to stop, we're going to press on."

The Taliban force in Zabul province, which numbered up to 1,000 men, was the largest concentration of forces from the Islamic militia since it was ousted from power in late 2001, and the battle, which began on August 25, the biggest in at least 18 months.

On Wednesday a senior government official said Afghan government and U.S.-led forces, backed by helicopter gunships, bombers and fighter jets, had driven Taliban forces out of their mountain stronghold in the Dai Chopan district of Zabul.

Zabul's intelligence chief Khalil Hotak said the corpses of 124 Taliban fighters, including two Arabs, had been found in and around the mountain caves. Davis put the figure slightly lower.

"We can confirm coalition and Afghan militia forces have killed somewhere in the range of between 70 and 100 enemy personnel," Davis said.

"That is probably a conservative estimate."

The commander of Taliban forces in Zabul said only seven of his men had been killed and 10 to 20 wounded, dismissing the U.S. figure as propaganda.

"If their claim is true, why don't they show the bodies," Mullah Abdul Razzaq Nafees told Reuters by satellite phone.

Davis said Operation Mountain Viper would continue against forces he described as "primarily Afghan, primarily Taliban."

"We're taking the fight to the enemy," he said. "If they move to the west, we'll move to the west. If they move to the north, we'll move to the north."

In the past, Taliban forces have often frustrated their U.S. pursuers by slipping away into the rugged mountains of southeastern Afghanistan, or over the border into Pakistan.

On this occasion, government officials from neighboring provinces say they have sent forces to cut off Taliban escape routes.

In May, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said most of Afghanistan was now secure, and the U.S. had moved from a period of major combat operations to one of stabilization and reconstruction.

However since then the Taliban and allied rebels have staged almost daily attacks on government posts, U.S. bases, aid workers and other targets in different parts of the country.

The movement has declared a "jihad," or holy war against foreign forces, aid organizations and their allies. (Additional reporting by Saeed Ali Achakzai in Chaman, Pakistan)

[TastyManatees]

The Taliban is on the run, and our soldiers do not intend to let them escape this time. U.S. forces are now talking about it. Even Reuters looks like it is starting to believe that maybe the Taliban is done for.

Note that the Taliban's claimed casualties keep getting lower and lower. First it was a few dozen, now it's "seven". Pretty soon, they'll be claiming that they've been gaining followers in the mountains. Conversely, over the past week or so, our confirmed kills have gone up significantly. I wouldn't be surprised if these remnant Taliban forces have already taken 20-30% casualties.

Tasty Manatees

[Smile-n-Win]

Oh, but wait for the Brutal Afghan Winter! </sarcasm>

[Ex-Dem]

Interesting...
Makes no mention of captured/wounded Taliban. Are we just killing them outright (take no prisoners)? Or are the Taliban taking their wounded with them so we can't interrogate them?

[MD_Willington_1976]

"Sing to Band on the run"

Taliban on the run, Taliban on the run

Well, the night was falling as the desert world

Began to settle down

In the town they're searching for us everywhere

But we never will be found...(yeah right ab dula)

Taliban on the run, Taliban on the run

[TastyManatees]

Wasn't Kathy Gannon (AP) reporting on Tuesday that the Taliban was "reorganized and strengthened"? Maybe they were...before our soldiers slaughtered them.

Tasty Manatees

[Coop]

It was mighty nice of them to regroup for our fine fighting folks. It does make their tough job a bit easier.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[Grampa Dave]

Amen brother!

How nice of these filthy goat humping perverts to band to gether. It makes killing them so much more effective.

[Grampa Dave]

"The Taliban force in Zabul province, which numbered up to 1,000 men, was the largest concentration of forces from the Islamic militia since it was ousted from power in late 2001, and the battle, which began on August 25, the biggest in at least 18 months.

"On Wednesday a senior government official said Afghan government and U.S.-led forces, backed by helicopter gunships, bombers and fighter jets, had driven Taliban forces out of their mountain stronghold in the Dai Chopan district of Zabul.

Zabul's intelligence chief Khalil Hotak said the corpses of 124 Taliban fighters, including two Arabs, had been found in and around the mountain caves. Davis put the figure slightly lower.

"We can confirm coalition and Afghan militia forces have killed somewhere in the range of between 70 and 100 enemy personnel," Davis said.

"That is probably a conservative estimate."


Two operative phrases in the above:

1. "The Taliban force in Zabul province, which numbered up to 1,000 men
2. "That is probably a conservative estimate."

[Smile-n-Win]

These losers are always glad to give us opportunities to kill them. That's why they are losers.

It is only our forbearance that has kept them alive.

[Dog Gone]

Yes, and with the daily attacks on our troops in Afghanistan, it's impossible to argue that the Taliban has not reorganized and strenghthened from a few months ago.

However, it's also a fact that this makes it a lot easier to kill them in large numbers, which we seem to be doing more frequently.

[citizen]

The Taliban force in Zabul province, which numbered up to 1,000 men, was the largest concentration of forces from the Islamic militia since it was ousted from power in late 2001

Drop a MOAB on 'em - safer, faster, cheaper, more efficient if you can catch them in one place.

Then go in and mop up the dazed survivors.

Leave one injured alive to tell of the American made hell.

[Pokey78]

Yep. Easier to kill fire ants when they are on a bed than it is to kill them individually.

[DoctorMichael]

Bump.

[tsomer]

we believe we have the enemy on the run," Colonel Rodney Davis told reporters

Do they get the 72 virgins if they're shot in the ass?

[Prodigal Son]

Are we just killing them outright (take no prisoners)? Or are the Taliban taking their wounded with them so we can't interrogate them?

Or are we just not reporting that we have prisoners? That's an option too.

[TastyManatees]

It's quite possible to argue they the Taliban is not back in the game. A few isolated attacks (not daily) in the hinterlands does not make the Taliban "reorganized and strenghthened". What is interesting is that they are in a sparsely populated, strategically unimportant area. Also, these estimates of size seem to vary wildly, but none put the force defending the Taliban's top handful of leaders (probably including Mullah Omar) at more than 1000 men. I would guess that this is the core of the Taliban (and probably its totality), and I do agree with you as to their future chances for survival.

Tasty Manatees

[Grampa Dave]

Moabs will not work very well in the mountains.

Just look at these exercises as live fire training exercises to keep the skills of our troops and airmen up.

[Larry Lucido]

Oh, but wait for the Brutal Afghan Winter!

As compared with, say, the kindly Wisconsin winter, or North Dakota winter, or Colorado winter?

[Guillermo]

And the Battle for Baghdad will make Stalingrad look like childs play!