Afghnistan war: 'Northern Alliance needs US air strikes to make a dent in Taliban defence'

Though the Northern Alliance has arrayed its troops on the Shomali plains, it will depend on decisive US air strikes to make a dent in the Taliban defence.

Don Pathan
India Today

Bagram, Afghanistan

Sitting behind a sandbag on a rooftop watching Taliban soldiers just 500 metres away, an opposition Northern Alliance frontline commander, Major Khata, talks about the shortage of ammunition and the step up in American air strikes against the Taliban.

"If the American air strikes are adequate, then we won't need so much supplies," Khata says. Minutes later, US war jets roar over the Shomali plains, about 45 km north of Kabul, dropping 12 bombs in a period of one hour on Taliban positions just a kilometre from where Khata is sitting.

Though the strikes were far from what is commonly referred to by military men as "carpet bombing", US attacks in recent days have indeed intensified over previous weeks. By the middle of the week, US B-52 bombers were dropping the famed "daisy cutter" bombs that are among the most powerful conventional munitions of their kind.

It marked another major shift in the US bombing strategy. There seemed to be a new sense of urgency to get results before winter truly set in. America also seemed more open to coordinate its attacks with the Northern Alliance forces.

The coordination, which got off to a slow start, came about after last week's meeting between US Central Command chief General Tommy Franks and Northern Alliance Commander-in-Chief General Mohammad Fahim in Dushanbe.

Prior to his meeting with Franks, Fahim had met with Iranian leaders and Russian intelligence chiefs to secure continued diplomatic and military support from the two countries. Soon after, US Defence Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld noted in Washington that although there may be an "uneven degree of coordination" between the two sides, the communication linkage was improving and he knew "for a fact that in a number of cases the coordination is quite good".

If Rumsfeld gets his way, there is likely to be an increase of US Special Forces personnel in north Afghanistan, working with frontline commanders in pointing out targets for the American jets.

Currently, there are about 100-200 Special Forces personnel in the Alliance's area, facilitating the humanitarian and ammunition airdrops, as well as assessing the military situation on the ground.

Northern Alliance Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah called the number of US military officials on the opposition-held territory "modest" and dismissed suggestions that American ground troops would be fighting alongside the Alliance soldiers in the event of an all-out offensive against the Taliban.

Last week, as the US and the Alliance were jumping in bed with each other, preparations for a thorough offensive against Kabul were clearly under way.

A Northern alliance advance towards Kabul will face stiff resistance. The Taliban are well dug-in and any American support will be out of sync as the two sides speak different languages.

Tanks and track vehicles, including truck-mounted, multiple-barrel rocket launchers, were being mobilised around the Shomali plains from nearby Kapissa province, northeast of Kabul.

Construction work on a small airstrip in Gulbahar on the northeast end of the Shomali plains is near completion. With snow falling on the Hindu Kush, transporting goods and ammunitions from Tajikistan through the land route would be out of question in the coming weeks.

Also, this past week, about 1,000 soldiers from the Zaparti strike unit were ordered to move back to their post in the Shomali from the northern front along the Tajikistan border.

On the outskirts of the town of Charika, which last week came under rocket attacks that killed two and injured nearly 20 people, troops in fresh new uniform were seen carrying out military exercises-jumping out of flatbed trucks on the old road to Kabul and dodging horse buggies and mules as they rushed to take up positions under the close watch of their commander.

Abdullah has made it clear that advancing into Kabul will not depend on the political outcome of the ongoing dialogue between all parties concerned, including former king Mohammed Zahir Shah, looking to form an interim government in a post-Taliban Afghanistan.

In a show of force last week Burhanuddin Rabbani, the Alliance's president, reviewed several thousand troops as scores of foreign reporters looked on the parade field which was filled with shouts of "Allah hu akbar (God is great)".

As Rabbani gave his men a lengthy pep talk, troops in the formation broke rank and turned their heads to the south towards the Shomali plains to watch US jets taking out Taliban positions along the frontline.

But as the US intensifies its air war against Afghanistan and terrorists suspected to be loyal to Osama bin Laden, there is still a big question mark over whether the opposition can take on the Taliban and its foreign friends.

The Alliance's strength is estimated at about 15,000- 20,000 fighters. Its armour includes T-62 and T-55 main battle tanks, BMP 1 and BMP 2 armoured fighting vehicles, D-30 122-mm artillery pieces and a range of mobile truckmounted multiple-barrelled rocket launchers.

There are only two MI-35 Soviet-built attack helicopters and no fix-wing ground attack aircraft-the essential hardware needed to take out Taliban tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles that are heavily dug-in and camouflaged in the heart of the Shomali plains that sits in between the Alliance's stronghold in the Panjshir Valley and Kabul.

Abdullah says his men are in the highest state of readiness but frontline commanders complain of a lack of ammunition, fuel, food and the fact that their men receive their meagre $10 (Rs 480) monthly salary only once every six months.

Taliban troop strength has been estimated at about 40,000 fighters-including 10,000 Arabs, Pakistanis, Chechens, Uzbeks and other Muslim radicals from southeast Asia, all belonging to bin Laden's Al Qaida movement. Moreover, any advance towards Kabul is likely to face stiff resistance.

The Taliban are well dug-in; any air support from American jets is likely to be out of sync as the two sides do not speak the same language; and the mud houses and high walls around villages are likely to serve as obstacles for advancing ground units.

Up north-a week after experiencing a major set-back following what was billed as an ill-conceived military plan- the Alliance on Tuesday claimed to have made a considerable advance on the strategic northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif near the border with Uzbekistan after US jets cleared the way through intense bombing.

The claim could not be independently verified. Despite the renewed vigour in the assaults by both the US and the Northern Alliance, the siege of Afghanistan continues to be an uphill battle.

https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20011119-afghnistan-war-northern-alliance-needs-us-air-strikes-to-make-a-dent-in-taliban-defence-774695-2001-11-19 

Waiting in hope

Though the Northern Alliance has arrayed its troops on the Shomali plains, it will depend on decisive US air strikes to make a dent in the Taliban defence.

Don Pathan
India Today

Afghanistan, November 19, 2001 | UPDATED 18:06 IST

Sitting behind a sandbag on a rooftop watching Taliban soldiers just 500 m away, an opposition Northern Alliance frontline commander, Major Khata, talks about the shortage of ammunition and the step up in American air strikes against the Taliban.

"If the American air strikes are adequate, then we won't need so much supplies," Khata says. Minutes later, US war jets roar over the Shomali plains, about 45 km north of Kabul, dropping 12 bombs in a period of one hour on Taliban positions just a kilometer from where Khata is sitting.

Though the strikes were far from what is commonly referred to by military men as "carpet bombing", US attacks in recent days have indeed intensified over previous weeks. By the middle of the week, US B-52 bombers were dropping the famed "daisy cutter" bombs that are among the most powerful conventional munitions of their kind.

It marked another major shift in the US bombing strategy. There seemed to be a new sense of urgency to get results before winter truly set in. America also seemed more open to coordinate its attacks with the Northern Alliance forces.

The coordination, which got off to a slow start, came about after last week's meeting between US Central Command chief General Tommy Franks and Northern Alliance Commander-in-Chief General Mohammad Fahim in Dushanbe.

Prior to his meeting with Franks, Fahim had met with Iranian leaders and Russian intelligence chiefs to secure continued diplomatic and military support from the two countries. Soon after, US Defence Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld noted in Washington that although there may be an "uneven degree of coordination" between the two sides, the communication linkage was improving and he knew "for a fact that in a number of cases the coordination is quite good".

If Rumsfeld gets his way, there is likely to be an increase of US Special Forces personnel in north Afghanistan, working with frontline commanders in pointing out targets for the American jets.

Currently, there are about 100-200 Special Forces personnel in the Alliance's area, facilitating the humanitarian and ammunition airdrops, as well as assessing the military situation on the ground.

Northern Alliance Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah called the number of US military officials on the opposition-held territory "modest" and dismissed suggestions that American ground troops would be fighting alongside the Alliance soldiers in the event of an all-out offensive against the Taliban.

Last week, as the US and the Alliance were jumping in bed with each other, preparations for a thorough offensive against Kabul were clearly under way. 

A Northern alliance advance towards Kabul will face stiff resistance. The Taliban are well dug-in and any American support will be out of sync as the two sides speak different languages.

Tanks and track vehicles, including truck-mounted, multiple-barrel rocket launchers, were being mobilised around the Shomali plains from nearby Kapissa province, northeast of Kabul.

Construction work on a small airstrip in Gulbahar on the northeast end of the Shomali plains is near completion. With snow falling on the Hindu Kush, transporting goods and ammunitions from Tajikistan through the land route would be out of question in the coming weeks.

Also, this past week, about 1,000 soldiers from the Zaparti strike unit were ordered to move back to their post in the Shomali from the northern front along the Tajikistan border.

On the outskirts of the town of Charika, which last week came under rocket attacks that killed two and injured nearly 20 people, troops in fresh new uniform were seen carrying out military exercises-jumping out of flatbed trucks on the old road to Kabul and dodging horse buggies and mules as they rushed to take up positions under the close watch of their commander.

Abdullah has made it clear that advancing into Kabul will not depend on the political outcome of the ongoing dialogue between all parties concerned, including former king Mohammed Zahir Shah, looking to form an interim government in a post-Taliban Afghanistan.

In a show of force last week Burhanuddin Rabbani, the Alliance's president, reviewed several thousand troops as scores of foreign reporters looked on the parade field which was filled with shouts of "Allah hu akbar (God is great)".

MISSION TIME: General Fahim Khan (centre) and Burhanuddin Rabbani (right) review Alliance troops in Jabal Saraj

As Rabbani gave his men a lengthy pep talk, troops in the formation broke rank and turned their heads to the south towards the Shomali plains to watch US jets taking out Taliban positions along the frontline.

But as the US intensifies its air war against Afghanistan and terrorists suspected to be loyal to Osama bin Laden, there is still a big question mark over whether the opposition can take on the Taliban and its foreign friends.

The Alliance's strength is estimated at about 15,000- 20,000 fighters. Its armour includes T-62 and T-55 main battle tanks, BMP 1 and BMP 2 armoured fighting vehicles, D-30 122-mm artillery pieces and a range of mobile truckmounted multiple-barrelled rocket launchers.

There are only two MI-35 Soviet-built attack helicopters and no fix-wing ground attack aircraft-the essential hardware needed to take out Taliban tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles that are heavily dug-in and camouflaged in the heart of the Shomali plains that sits in between the Alliance's stronghold in the Panjshir Valley and Kabul.

Abdullah says his men are in the highest state of readiness but frontline commanders complain of a lack of ammunition, fuel, food and the fact that their men receive their meagre $10 (Rs 480) monthly salary only once every six months.

Taliban troop strength has been estimated at about 40,000 fighters-including 10,000 Arabs, Pakistanis, Chechens, Uzbeks and other Muslim radicals from southeast Asia, all belonging to bin Laden's Al Qaida movement. Moreover, any advance towards Kabul is likely to face stiff resistance.

The Taliban are well dug-in; any air support from American jets is likely to be out of sync as the two sides do not speak the same language; and the mud houses and high walls around villages are likely to serve as obstacles for advancing ground units.

Up north-a week after experiencing a major set-back following what was billed as an ill-conceived military plan- the Alliance on Tuesday claimed to have made a considerable advance on the strategic northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif near the border with Uzbekistan after US jets cleared the way through intense bombing.

The claim could not be independently verified. Despite the renewed vigour in the assaults by both the US and the Northern Alliance, the siege of Afghanistan continues to be an uphill battle.

Waiting in hope

Though the Northern Alliance has arrayed its troops on the Shomali plains, it will depend on decisive US air strikes to make a dent in the Taliban defence.

Don Pathan
India Today

Afghanistan, November 19, 2001 | UPDATED 18:06 IST

Sitting behind a sandbag on a rooftop watching Taliban soldiers just 500 m away, an opposition Northern Alliance frontline commander, Major Khata, talks about the shortage of ammunition and the step up in American air strikes against the Taliban.

"If the American air strikes are adequate, then we won't need so much supplies," Khata says. Minutes later, US war jets roar over the Shomali plains, about 45 km north of Kabul, dropping 12 bombs in a period of one hour on Taliban positions just a kilometre from where Khata is sitting.

Though the strikes were far from what is commonly referred to by military men as "carpet bombing", US attacks in recent days have indeed intensified over previous weeks. By the middle of the week, US B-52 bombers were dropping the famed "daisy cutter" bombs that are among the most powerful conventional munitions of their kind.

It marked another major shift in the US bombing strategy. There seemed to be a new sense of urgency to get results before winter truly set in. America also seemed more open to coordinate its attacks with the Northern Alliance forces.

The coordination, which got off to a slow start, came about after last week's meeting between US Central Command chief General Tommy Franks and Northern Alliance Commander-in-Chief General Mohammad Fahim in Dushanbe.

Prior to his meeting with Franks, Fahim had met with Iranian leaders and Russian intelligence chiefs to secure continued diplomatic and military support from the two countries. Soon after, US Defence Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld noted in Washington that although there may be an "uneven degree of coordination" between the two sides, the communication linkage was improving and he knew "for a fact that in a number of cases the coordination is quite good".

If Rumsfeld gets his way, there is likely to be an increase of US Special Forces personnel in north Afghanistan, working with frontline commanders in pointing out targets for the American jets.

Currently, there are about 100-200 Special Forces personnel in the Alliance's area, facilitating the humanitarian and ammunition airdrops, as well as assessing the military situation on the ground.

Northern Alliance Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah called the number of US military officials on the opposition-held territory "modest" and dismissed suggestions that American ground troops would be fighting alongside the Alliance soldiers in the event of an all-out offensive against the Taliban.

Last week, as the US and the Alliance were jumping in bed with each other, preparations for a thorough offensive against Kabul were clearly under way. 

A Northern alliance advance towards Kabul will face stiff resistance. The Taliban are well dug-in and any American support will be out of sync as the two sides speak different languages.

Tanks and track vehicles, including truck-mounted, multiple-barrel rocket launchers, were being mobilised around the Shomali plains from nearby Kapissa province, northeast of Kabul.

Construction work on a small airstrip in Gulbahar on the northeast end of the Shomali plains is near completion. With snow falling on the Hindu Kush, transporting goods and ammunitions from Tajikistan through the land route would be out of question in the coming weeks.

Also, this past week, about 1,000 soldiers from the Zaparti strike unit were ordered to move back to their post in the Shomali from the northern front along the Tajikistan border.

On the outskirts of the town of Charika, which last week came under rocket attacks that killed two and injured nearly 20 people, troops in fresh new uniform were seen carrying out military exercises-jumping out of flatbed trucks on the old road to Kabul and dodging horse buggies and mules as they rushed to take up positions under the close watch of their commander.

Abdullah has made it clear that advancing into Kabul will not depend on the political outcome of the ongoing dialogue between all parties concerned, including former king Mohammed Zahir Shah, looking to form an interim government in a post-Taliban Afghanistan.

In a show of force last week Burhanuddin Rabbani, the Alliance's president, reviewed several thousand troops as scores of foreign reporters looked on the parade field which was filled with shouts of "Allah hu akbar (God is great)".

MISSION TIME: General Fahim Khan (centre) and Burhanuddin Rabbani (right) review Alliance troops in Jabal Saraj

As Rabbani gave his men a lengthy pep talk, troops in the formation broke rank and turned their heads to the south towards the Shomali plains to watch US jets taking out Taliban positions along the frontline.

But as the US intensifies its air war against Afghanistan and terrorists suspected to be loyal to Osama bin Laden, there is still a big question mark over whether the opposition can take on the Taliban and its foreign friends.

The Alliance's strength is estimated at about 15,000- 20,000 fighters. Its armour includes T-62 and T-55 main battle tanks, BMP 1 and BMP 2 armoured fighting vehicles, D-30 122-mm artillery pieces and a range of mobile truckmounted multiple-barrelled rocket launchers.

There are only two MI-35 Soviet-built attack helicopters and no fix-wing ground attack aircraft-the essential hardware needed to take out Taliban tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles that are heavily dug-in and camouflaged in the heart of the Shomali plains that sits in between the Alliance's stronghold in the Panjshir Valley and Kabul.

Abdullah says his men are in the highest state of readiness but frontline commanders complain of a lack of ammunition, fuel, food and the fact that their men receive their meagre $10 (Rs 480) monthly salary only once every six months.

Taliban troop strength has been estimated at about 40,000 fighters-including 10,000 Arabs, Pakistanis, Chechens, Uzbeks and other Muslim radicals from southeast Asia, all belonging to bin Laden's Al Qaida movement. Moreover, any advance towards Kabul is likely to face stiff resistance.

The Taliban are well dug-in; any air support from American jets is likely to be out of sync as the two sides do not speak the same language; and the mud houses and high walls around villages are likely to serve as obstacles for advancing ground units.

Up north-a week after experiencing a major set-back following what was billed as an ill-conceived military plan- the Alliance on Tuesday claimed to have made a considerable advance on the strategic northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif near the border with Uzbekistan after US jets cleared the way through intense bombing.

The claim could not be independently verified. Despite the renewed vigour in the assaults by both the US and the Northern Alliance, the siege of Afghanistan continues to be an uphill battle.

Northern alliance forces closing in on key Afghan cit

Aspen Daily News, Volume 24, Number 131, 

November 8, 2001

 

Northern alliance forces closing in on key Afghan city

This article has been automatically clipped from the Aspen Daily News November 8, 2001, organised into a single column, then optimised for display on your computer screen. As a result, it may not look exactly as it did on the original page. The article can be seen in its original form in the page view.

US planes bomb behind Taliban front lines near Afghan capital

By Don Pathan
The Independent
(The Associated Press)

Jabal Saraj, Afghanistan

US warplanes bombed behind front–line Taliban positions near Kabul in an effort to weaken defenses and allow opposition troops to advance toward the capital.=

Witnesses said they did not hear any anti–aircraft fire from Taliban fighters, who have periodically tried to shoot down U.S. jets since bombing began more than five weeks ago.

However, there were no signs that the Afghan opposition, a loose coalition of fighters dominated by ethnic minority Tajiks and Uzbeks, was on the offensive near Kabul.

But the opposition has claimed victories on another main front, near the strategic northern city of Mazar–e–Sharif.

Backed by heavy U.S. bombing, the opposition northern alliance said Tuesday it captured several areas to the south of the city. Still, opposition forces remain at least 60 kilometers (40 miles) south of the city with winter closing in.

To the north of Kabul, witnesses said U.S. jets dropped dozens of bombs late Tuesday and two bombs early Wednesday behind the front line, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of the capital. Some explosions were followed by up to 30 smaller detonations.

The Taliban's Bakhtar News Agency said bombs north of Kabul and in the eastern city of Jalalabad killed at least 10 people and injured 19. The report could not be independently confirmed, and the Pentagon has denied Taliban claims of widespread civilian casualties.

At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Tuesday that an assessment of the opposition claims of gains outside Mazar–e–Sharif would have to wait until the "dust settled."

But after seesawing battles south of Mazar–e–Sharif in recent weeks, the opposition said intense strikes by American planes helped open the way for Tuesday's advance. The alliance had complained earlier that U.S. bombing was not heavy enough.

Retaking the city, which the Taliban captured from the opposition in 1998, would greatly damage the Islamic militia's power in the north.

Footage shows LAPD shooting rubber bullet at transgender rights demonstrator during spa protests

Rumsfeld said U.S. military planners hope that American help to the opposition alliance – including weapons and ammunition – will unite its factions so "that we will see more success" on the ground.

The Pentagon has said small numbers of American special forces teams are working with northern alliance forces to train and equip them, provide them with additional ammunition and weaponry, and identify targets for U.S. strike aircraft.

The Pentagon also intends to start delivering cold–weather clothing to the northern alliance, officials say.

President George W. Bush launched airstrikes against Afghanistan on Oct. 7 after the ruling Taliban militia refused to hand over Osama bin Laden for his alleged role in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

On Tuesday, Bush pledged "to keep relentless military pressure" on bin Laden and the Taliban, saying it is essential to keep terrorists from acquiring nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Rumsfeld said the United States extracted Hamid Karzai, a southern opposition leader, from Afghanistan over the weekend. Taliban forces had been chasing Karzai as he tried to rally support among ethnic Pashtun tribes for an alternative to the Taliban.

The United States wants the Afghan opposition to make significant gains ahead of winter. Fighting traditionally tapers off then because snow closes roads and hampers the resupply of troops.

https://www.independent.co.uk/author/don-pathan