U.S. To Up Afghan Operations This Winter

U.S. Commander Says Offensive Ops Will Increase To Target Insurgents Planning Spring Attacks

(AP)  American troops in Afghanistan will step up offensive operations this winter because insurgents are increasingly staying in the country to prepare for spring attacks, a U.S. commander told The Associated Press.

Maj. Gen. Jeffery J. Schloesser said a 40 percent surge in violence in April and May was fueled in part by militants preparing stores of weapons during the winter, which generally is a slow period for fighting, particularly in snowy Afghan mountainous areas.

"If we don't do anything over the winter the enemy will more and more try to seek safe haven in Afghanistan rather than going back to Pakistan," Schloesser said.

U.S. and NATO officials say militants cross into Afghanistan from Pakistan, where they rest, train and resupply in tribal areas along the frontier where the Pakistani government has little sway.

Schloesser estimated 7,000 to 11,000 insurgents operate in the eastern part of Afghanistan that he oversees - a far higher estimate than given by previous U.S. commanders.

He said the U.S. military realized more militants spent last winter in Afghanistan after speaking with elders and villagers who had been pushed out of their homes. The spike in violence in the spring occurred because insurgents were already in position to unleash attacks, though U.S. officials didn't know it at the time, he said.

"They didn't have to come over the passes, they were already here," Schloesser said during an interview while flying in a Black Hawk helicopter Monday to a small U.S. outpost in Nuristan, a province that borders Pakistan.

A NATO spokeswoman said she didn't believe increased operations would take place over the winter in other areas of Afghanistan where the U.S. isn't the primary military force.

Attacks in the eastern part of Afghanistan where U.S. troops primarily operate were 20 percent to 30 percent higher in June and July than a year earlier, Schloesser said.

He said an attack by six or so suicide bombers on a large U.S. base near the Pakistan border Aug. 18 was carried out by Arabs and Chechens, foreign militants who are increasingly flowing into the Afghan theater. He said militant Web sites have been encouraging fighters to go to Afghanistan instead of Iraq.

"I can't prove they are coming from Iraq to Afghanistan, but I've seen it on Web sites that that's what they're being told to do," Schloesser said.

This year is on pace to be the deadliest for U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan since the invasion that ousted a Taliban regime in late 2001, as militants increase the complexity and scale of their assaults. Nearly 200 soldiers in the international forces have died this year, including 105 Americans. The total for all of last year was a record 222.

On Wednesday, the Canadian military said three of its soldiers were killed and five wounded when their patrol was attacked in the volatile Zhari district near Kandahar city in the south.

U.S. and NATO commanders have been urging that U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan be increased by about 10,000. There are already 34,000 American troops in Afghanistan, the highest since the war began. That includes 15,000 in a NATO force of 65,000, also a high for the war.

Schloesser said he was "reasonably optimistic" that he would see the additional American troops in the next several months. He said leaders in Washington "understand the importance of what our people are doing here."

In the last two months, troops in the U.S.-led coalition have killed six top insurgent leaders in a valley 40 miles northeast of Kapisa, Schloesser said. The top militant leader in the Tagab Valley of Kapisa province is still on the loose.

U.S. and NATO leaders keep a wary eye on Tagab because it is close to Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, and the big U.S. military base at Bagram.

"I still want to get (militant leader) No. 1. I'm waiting for him to come back into the country," Schloesser said. "I don't believe he's in the valley right now, otherwise he'd be captured or killed."

[hermitdave]

Well let us stop and think. Other than to secure the oil pipeline and increase the poppy drug trade, what was the reason for the Bush Afghan crusade. Oh yes some former CIA dude named Osama Bin Laden met with several terror dudes in a Afghan cave and planned 9/11. So because of this thousands of innocent Afghan women and children were killed and maimed. Then George lost interest in Osama and decided to go after the OIL in Iraq.

[lambor59]

Russians had failed in Kabu, now it''s US turn, let''s go broke

[inventagod2]

US must get that oil pipeline installed by springtime???

[samsel3]

There are no benefits for Americans in Afghanistan. Your tax dollars and cumulative borrowed debt to finance these operations only benefit the corporations who purchased the oil& gas rights in the Caspian Sea Basin, for the construction of the Caspian Sea Pipelines........nothing more nothing less.

And the extermination continues:...........


February 12, 1998 John J. Maresca vp of UNOCAL oil appeared before a House sub committee. The purpose of the meeting was to gain support for exploitation of oil & natural gas resources, for the rights purchased by BIG OIL in the Caspian Sea area.

In his testimony he stated, "The key question is how the energy resources of Central Asia can be made available to nearby Asian markets ".

The exploitation option stated : "One obvious route south would cross Iran, but this is foreclosed by American companies because of U.S. sanctions (with Iran ) . The only other possible route is across Afghanistan, which of course has it s own unique challenges. " He continued saying, " the pipeline we have proposed across Afghanistan could not begin until a recognized government is in place that has the confidence of governments,lenders (world monitary fund & world bank ) ,and our company "......"

UNOCAL and other American companies are prepared to undertake the job ".

[petro49l]

Bin Laden does not care about American Special Forces. His Al Qada clique are busy growing and synthesizing poppies into tar heroin. Politicians in Islamabad are paid to protect his operation. Addicts pay good money for the narcotic. Why fight a war against the Americans when you can bankrupt the country?

[xmanborg]

Well Bushie will not be in charge any more so maybe something will get done.

[hermitdave]

WELL army dude you might believe the innocent women and children killed and maimed in the BUSH Afghan crusade was because of 9/11. Many of us do not swallow that obvious lie. The Afghan crusade was for oil and drugs. The Iraq crusade was just for oil. Osama was a CIA operative and dead before 9/11.

[superdem]

Terrorists don''t need a country to plan attacks against us, a hotel room will do. Chasing Islamic fighters through the mountains of Afghanistan is a vain exercise, every one we kill has cousins and uncles who all hate America. We do not understand this culture and could care less - it''s all about full spectrum world domination, we have traded places with the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. We laughed while we supplied THE TALIBAN against the Russians, and now *** Cheney is talking smack against the Russians RIGHT NOW, so they are certain to return the favor, arm the insurgents, and keep us bogged down in Afghanistan, taking casualties for another ten years. World domination is NOT what America is about. We have no right to do what we are doing, and it is NOT in America''s interests to antagonize the rest of the world. I don''t care how pugnacious our military is, or our neocon leaders are. This is an America we''ve never seen, we are totally out of control. John McCain promises more of the same. So does Obama for that matter. We need to change our policy in Afghanistan to one that makes sense.

[guadalcanal3]

Superdem...Excuse me sir...but...You''ve got it all wrong...Who are we antagonizing?...There is a coalition of many countries..who are by the way...''On our side'' in this war...It was Terrorists from Afghanistan that planned and executed the attacks on 9/11...it was terrorists from Afghanistan that planned and executed the Madrid train attacks...it was terrorist from Afghanistan who planned and executed the london train station attacks...it was terrorist from Afghanistan who planned and executed the USS Cole attack...etc...etc...etc...I would say it is the terrorists who are doing the ''antagonizing'' here..It was the terrorists who ''antagonized'' the USA thereby forcing us to respond...If all these attacks that I just mentioned did not occur...then...We would NOT be at war...plain and simple...If we are ''antagonizing'' anybody I would say that the Taliban and Al Qaeda are good places to start...."Give em'' hell!".

[sfcusarmy1]

hermitdave - The Afghan crusade was for oil and drugs?? And we killed 3,000 Americans on 9/11 because of it?? Many of you do not swallow that obvious lie??Ok, what ever dude. Go back to smoking your crack pipe. Don''t worry though, we will still be in Afghanistan long after Obama is in office because we are winning and he isnt a quitter. The war there is just and legal. We''ll win just like we have won in Iraq.
I understand that to you and many other people, what the terrorist did on 9/11 is simply incomprehensible. Much so that people like you will make up these theories about what really happen and who was really behind it, or why we really went just so you can comprehend the tragedy of 9/11. But the fact of the matter is that there is no other reason. What happen, happen. Our country was attacked not once, but many times, and now they are paying the price for what they have done to America. Like it or not. They were the ones that woke the sleeping giant.

[deacon20081]

Hey Dubya, why not ship that border fence you are building to keep the terrorist Canadians out of the USA to the Afghanistan Pakistan Border?

[hermitdave]

SORRY army dude but the statement about the need for a new Pearl Harbor just doesn''t add up to any outside planning of 9/11. Osama the CIA dude had no reason to need a new Pearl Harbor. However the NEOCON criminals very much needed one to be able to do the Afghan and Iraq crusades for drugs and oil. We know how bone stupid most Americans are through here, bet even the dumbest would not have gone along with the Afghan or Iraq crusade without 9/11. Just follow the money and the oil and the drugs, it will lead you to this country.

[petro49l]

Before 9-11 Disaster, Afghanistan was ruled by Al Qada. After, they retreated into Waziristan for protection. The Organization pays bribes to crooked Politicians in Islamabad to maintain their defensive position. Those Officials pay bribes to Politicians in Washington D.C. to keep Al Qada safe and secure. The United States can deploy thousands of Marines, Rangers, Green Berets, and Seals to the region. Those Soldiers will never penetrate Waziristan''s underground fortress. Bin Laden is free to produce tar heroin in his narcotics factory.

[samsel3]

The administrations true interests are Cheney%u2019s energy policy.Condi Rice is a former board member of Chevron Oil and mouthpiece for the administrations energy policy.

Part of that policy is the The Caspian Sea pipelines which will go through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan,Pakistan, to the gulf of Oman and on to India & Nepal.

The Caspian sea area holds one third of the world%u2019s oil and natural gas. South asia is their target market. This pipeline was also the reason for the Afghanistan invasion. Cheney%u2019s energy policy is the root of all these middle east wars, a federal court judge sealed all documents associated with it for the administration, and the national media are not allowed to discuss or comment on it. More troops are needed in Afghanistan to protect the contractors building the pipeline.

Iran is planning pipelines with Russia to compete with British & US companies in southeast asian markets. Iran and Russia stand in the way of US & British control of these markets. The administration doesn t care all that matters to them are their freinds in BIG OIL & GAS and their corporate stock portfolios.

[downsteamjim]

9/11 never happened. The oil companies needed space to build a gas station in NYC. David Copperfield just made them disappear. The 1000''s that were supposed to have been killed were given to aliens from outer space to fill their intergalactic zoos.
The pity of this post is that is make as much sense as the rest.