Afghan Officials Say Taliban Stand Crushed

Afghan And NATO Troops Drive Militants From Villages Outside Kandahar, Killing 56

(CBS/AP)  Afghan and NATO troops backed by warplanes drove Taliban militants from villages within striking distance of southern Afghanistan's main city on Thursday, killing 56 of them, Afghan officials said.

NATO said the 24-hour-long operation in Arghandab was a swift success that banished any threat to Kandahar and would help reassure Afghans appalled at the embarrassing mass escape of Taliban prisoners from a city jail last week.

It was unclear when mopping-up operations in the lush, orchard-strewn valley would be completed, or when hundreds of displaced villagers could return. Afghan officials said militants had planted hundreds of land mines before fleeing.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef - who often gives exaggerated information - boasted to CBS News on Tuesday that the militant movement controlled all of Arghandab. He said many of the militants who had moved into region were freed during a massive prison break in Kandahar on Friday.

Some 400 insurgents swept into Arghandab on Monday and seized 10 villages, Afghan officials said. The area is considered a possible launch pad for an attack on Kandahar, the fundamentalist Taliban's capital before U.S.-led forces ousted it in 2001.

NATO played down the threat, but sent 600 British and Canadian troops to support Afghan soldiers, many of them rushed in by air from the capital, Kabul, for a rapid counter-strike.

After 24 hours, Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said the Afghan National Army had taken back the villages, and NATO judged the joint operation "very successful."

"No large formation of insurgents were met or spotted. Only minor incidents occurred," alliance spokesman Maj. Gen. Carlos Branco said. "The insurgents who were there were evidently not in the numbers or with the foothold that they have claimed."

NATO and Afghan officials said ground troops were moving methodically through the area on the east bank of the Arghandab River, wary of bombs and keen to avoid civilian casualties.

Mark Laity, another NATO spokesman, said the alliance launched a "limited number" of airstrikes overnight. He said no NATO troops were hurt and military operations would continue in Arghandab "for a little while yet."

Syed Mohammed, a resident who sent two dozen relatives to Kandahar but stayed behind in the village of Thabien, said gunfights had raged until about 2 a.m.

When he looked out of his gate at dawn Thursday, Afghan soldiers shooed him back inside, but not before he saw about a half-dozen bodies - apparently dead militants - in the back of a truck.

"The soldiers were everywhere, even in my pomegranate orchard," Mohammed told The Associated Press by telephone. "They told me to stay home for my own security and because of the mines."

Earlier in the week, he had seen 30 to 40 militants armed with assault rifles and rockets ride through the village, he said.

Azimi said two Afghan soldiers were killed and two more wounded in the operation. The 56 insurgents killed included several foreign fighters, he said. Kandahar Gov. Asadullah Khalid said one civilian was killed by gunfire.

An Associated Press reporter on the roof of a shrine overlooking the Arghandab River and the contested area saw Afghan and Canadian troops moving in convoys but no sign of combat, or of any villagers returning.

President Hamid Karzai ordered officials to assist several hundred families who fled the area before the fighting, clear any mines and help them return quickly.

Branco said the displaced villagers were staying with friends and relatives in the region and there was "no humanitarian crisis."

Khalid, the governor, claimed that, in all, "hundreds" of militants had been killed or wounded. However, Azimi said many fighters could have slipped away northward under cover of darkness.

Meanwhile, the Taliban announced on a Web site that several suicide bombers had entered Kandahar to attack Canadian and Afghan troops and government officials, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, an organization that monitors militant Web sites.

Branco said police dismantled several bombs in the city Wednesday thanks to tip-offs and the city was "firmly under the control of the Afghan government and its people."

Confidence in that control was badly shaken last Friday when a bold Taliban attack, including two suicide bombings, on the Kandahar prison freed 900 inmates, including 400 Taliban fighters.

Laity said the Taliban were trying to stir panic and that the response in Arghandab should allay the fears of Afghans, many of whom doubt Afghan and NATO forces can defeat the growing insurgency any time soon.

"We know that after recent events like the jailbreak there is concern about our capabilities. This was a fast and very effective response and I think something that all Afghans can take great heart from," he said.

Meanwhile, a French official in Kabul has told CBS News that a French businessman kidnapped by the Taliban in May has been released along with two Afghans. The official, who spoke under condition of anonymity, did not release details of the arrangement.

[dobbershome]

They must of took my advice. Kill em'' all with extreme prejudice!

[j-whitman]

libsluv2spit,,, Maybe you think the tons of General''s & Admirals on Obam''s mitary & national security staff are terrorist appeasers - I don''t

Maybe you think the tons of highly educated & experianced foreign policy experts & State Dept. on Obama''s staff are terrorist appeasers - I don''t

Maybe you think General Petreaus is in Pakistan appeasing terorists - I don''t

[j-whitman]

libsluv2spit,,, And I''m not suprised you still have no concept of what''s going on

[j-whitman]

terrorislami-Lars,,, Your Swift Boat sunk, you never understood the 1st thing about terrorism

[terrorislami]

HUSSEIN IS SOFT ON FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAMIST JIHADISTS,,,

HELL HIS KENYAN FAMILY AND TRIBE ARE FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAMIST JIHADISTS,,,

will hussein stop his radical muslim luo tribe relatives from slaughtering non-muslims???

apparently not,,,

U.S. Troops to African "hotspot"?

Obama Jr. Says ''''Not Yet''''

http://www.usvetdsp.com/jan08/obama_lou%20tribe.htm

Just one day before the Jan. 3, 2008 Iowa caucus, Sen. Barack Hussein Obama Jr. (D-Ill.), who is aiming to be America''''''''s first African-American president, found himself taping a message from Iowa to Kenya for broadcast on the Voice of America.

Kenya, the homeland Obama Jr''''s family''''s Luo tribe, burst into post-election violence after Raila Odinga, a fiery Luo tribe opposition leader and Kenya presidential candidate, alleged the Dec. 27 voting that re-elected President Mwai Kibaki of the Kikuyu tribe was rigged

More than 360 people were killed and over 250,000 displaced provoking a humanitarian crisis in a country previously considered a stable pillar in east Africa.

[j-whitman]

terrorislami-Lars,,, Are you calling General Petreaus soft on Terrorist ?? - He has the same policies of Obama & not McCain

They seem an odd couple: the general who engineered President Bush''s surge in Iraq, and the presidential candidate who has promised to undo it. But look again. Gen. David Petraeus''s broad new agenda as the likely next commander of Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. forces in the entire Middle East and Central Asia, seems to echo some of Barack Obama''s views about the critical front in Afghanistan and Pakistan

http://www.newsweek.com/id/142136

[terrorislami]

HUSSEIN IS SOFT ON FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAMIST JIHADISTS,,,

HELL HIS KENYAN FAMILY AND TRIBE ARE FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAMIST JIHADISTS,,,

Obama''s Cousin Charged With Ethnic Cleansing
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/01/great-obamas-cousin-charged-with-ethnic.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7192958.stm

Obama''s relative linked to Ethnic Cleansing in Kenya
http://libertarianrepublican.blogspot.com/2008/02/obamas-relative-linked-to-ethnic.html

Signs in Kenya That Killings Were Planned
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1957451/posts

Ten Obvious Reasons Why Islam is NOT a Religion of Peace
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Pages/Top-10-Reasons.htm

Kenya Muslim Violence Pictorial *Warning Graphic*

Africa, Kenya, Muslims%u2026nothing more needs to be said%u2026
http://patdollard.com/2008/01/kenya-muslim-violence-pictorial-warning-graphic/

The Kenyan jihad
http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/433766/the-kenyan-jihad.thtml

nothing new,,, more radical muslims ethnically cleansing non-muslims

19 Burned to Death in Violence in Kenya
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1960644/posts

[j-whitman]

terrorislami-Lars,,, Does your Swift Boat source of news tell you ---- General Petreaus has the Obama policies on Iraq & Afhganistan & not McCain''s ????

[terrorislami]

HUSSEIN IS SOFT ON FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAMIST JIHADISTS,,,

HELL HIS KENYAN FAMILY AND TRIBE ARE FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAMIST JIHADISTS,,,

Obama Sides With Radical Islamists

The magnitude of difference between the two candidates running in our presidential election could not be more stark! After reading the statements of both Obama and McCain regarding the horrible Supreme Court 5-4 decision to allow Gitmo detainees the right to be tried in civilian courts, we can clearly see what a flawed, unfortunate, and terrible direction Obama would take this country if [God forbid!!]elected in November.

Obama''s statement:

Barack Obama statement on the Supreme Court''s 5-4 decision today extending civilian legal protections to terrorist suspects held in Guantanamo Bay:

Um...er...earth to Obama? Foreign terrorists caught in battle against our forces during war have never been eligible for "habeas corpus"! They are not covered by the Constitution of the United States of America. So...what "rule of law" are you referring to?
http://talkwisdom.blogspot.com/2008/06/obama-sides-with-radical-islamists.html

[j-whitman]

terrorislami,,, You are insane - Your Swift Boat is out of fuel & so full of holes it sunk at the dock.

You must think the dozens of admirals & generals on Obama''s military & national security staff are Muslems

You must think all the dozens of highly expereianced State Dept & Foreign Policy people on Obama''s foreign policy staff are Muslems

[deacon20081]

"The fact of the matter is that in less than 24 hours notice the Afghan National Army moved a battalion of soldiers to Kandahar, by using both their own airplanes and ISAF aircraft, from a cold start," Craddock said. "There are not too many nations in the world capable of such a feat.................


The Army Base where I served state side was easily mobilized in 24 Hours. THE BASE was Combat Ready in peace time.
That was our mission...Combat Ready.....
700 Troops is not a big deal....

[petro49l]

Life is good in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Commercial crops of poppies and cannabis are sold at profit. Orchards of fruits, berries, and nuts flourish throughout the region. Taliban fight and die, while the Saudis rake in billions of dollars of oil payments a day. There is a future for Waziristan. It can be realized by rejecting Osama Bin Laden and his false teachings. He is merely the Saudis'' puppet.

[terrorislami]

HUSSEIN IS A LIAR,,, so says his brother,,,

Malik Obama confirms his half-brother Barack grew up a Muslim

Apparently the Obamas of Kenya have no doubt -- contrary to the claims of the Obama campaign, that the presidential candidate was raised a Moslem. They take that as a given.
"Barack Obama''''s half brother Malik said Thursday that if elected his brother will be a good president for the Jewish people, despite his Muslim background. In an interview with Army Radio he expressed a special salutation from the Obamas of Kenya."
http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Politics/12918.htm
http://www.anobamanation.net/2008/06/obamas-brother-confirms-barack-grew-up.html

[notblue]

Roger-inkart, the Taliban and Al Qaeda factions do not represent Afghanistan, they are an extremist cult that presides throughout the middle east. Osama was given safe haven in Afghanistan after he was kicked out of Saudi Arabia. You people purposley ignore this FACT because it would make your Iraq argument nonsensical.

[mudrose-2009]

It looks like the liberals are losing on yet another front in their War on America.

Posted by One-American

That''s because all their chickens are coming home to roose. Clintoon, Albright, Denzig, the whole lot of them under the RamaLamaObama fold. Did you know that RamaLama is the Chairman on the Afghan Committee? Do you know he has not held one meeting? That''s because he and the rest of the loonie lefty Marxists don''t give a ***** who is advancing either in Iraq or Afghanistan. They are setting their agenda. Pacification and Appeasement with Hamas, Herzbolloh, Syria - the road to Peace, and Ahmie. They will Nationalize Oil just like Hugo as Mr. Hinchey of New York stated last night and will set their foreign policy according to the philosophy of Winnie the Pooh and bumping donw the stairs as Denzig quoted. The loonie left, planning on taking over America in a way that you will never see it normal again.

[roger_inkart]

It looks like the liberals are losing on yet another front in their War on America.

Posted by One-American at 11:38 AM : Jun 19, 2008

Except that many liberals - myself included - support the war in Afghanistan.

So, up yours for making stupid, hyperpartisan assumption, you moron. Y''know, there''s more to life (and being an American) then endlessly trying to score political points.

[bigsk8fan]

this is where the usa should be focusing on the war on terror. too bad bush and neocons keep insisting that iraq is a part of this war. there was no al qaeda in iraq. they did not plan to attack the usa. iraq had no wmd''s. only bushites continue to think afghanistan in any way justifies the american illegal and amoral occupation of iraq.

[oneworldusa]

I hope this story isn''t along the lines of: "Bin Laden has been cornered into a 40 mile square area of Afghanistan". What was that? 3 years ago or more? What came of it? Nothing. Just rhetoric.

If it''s true, then death, death, death to all these extremists. Martyr them all and make them happy.

[one-american]

It looks like the liberals are losing on yet another front in their War on America.

Too bad they never get any smarter - but liberals have a bad habit of consistantly supporting the wrong side.

And speaking of Brraaaawwwk O''Bummer...

[petro49l]

Waziristan was once filled with fruit groves and fields of commerical poppies. Now, it''s a slag heap for Bin Laden''s seat of power. Taliban should take back what is theirs. With Bin Laden there is only death, misery, and poverty. Whatever happened to the future?