U.S. Preparing for Massive On-Ground War

The United States decided to proceed to the next phase, which included the deployment of military special forces and ground troops and the attack on the Taliban troops, based upon the judgment that it possessed the air domination through aerial strikes on Afghanistan.

CNN in America reported on Oct. 10 that U.S. President George W. Bush had decided to deploy U.S. troops for military operations inside Afghanistan and notified the Congress about his decision on Oct. 9.

``Such a military operation is part of war on terrorism, and is needed to prevent Afghanistan from being used by terrorists as their field of action.`` President Bush indicated in a written notice. ``But military plans and the size and term of deployment cannot be disclosed.``

In this regard, the New York Times reported on Oct. 10, ``The Pentagon is preparing to use helicopters of U.S. Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Corps in Afghanistan in order to attack Osama bin Laden and the Taliban forces.``

Citing Pakistani military sources, Pakistani daily newspapers reported that special operations personnel of the corps are now transferring to an air base in Pakistan, and will be inserted immediately to the operations at the mountainous areas of northern Afghanistan.

British daily newspapers forecasted, ``Airstrikes will be completed by Oct. 10, and the ground troops will be inserted within a couple of days.``

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers, had their joint news conference at the Pentagon on Oct. 9, and said ``85 percent of the targets throughout Afghanistan were destroyed by the airstrikes.`` adding, ``We are now able to conduct 24 hour operations without being threatened by the Taliban`s anti-aircraft defense system.``

The Los Angeles Times reported on Oct. 9 that U.S. was found to go far to aim at such `moving targets` as the Taliban troops, tanks, cannons and transporting trucks.

The United States conducted day-and-night bombing campaign on Kabul and Kandahar for three days until night on Oct. 9 (Afghan local time), and continued to drop bombs on Kandahar in the afternoon on Oct. 10.

President Bush and all other leaders of U.S. defense, diplomatic relations and security set out to reinforce diplomatic and propaganda offensives aimed at collapsing the Taliban government by means of summits, overseas tours and press conferences as well as by a military campaign.

Meanwhile, the Taliban requested Arab nations that they press the U.S. to negotiate with the Taliban. A spokesman of Al-Qaeda, the terrorist group led by bin Laden, suggested in a message carried on Qatar`s al-Jazeera Television that ``Muslims around the world should carry out Jihad (holy war) against U.S.``

Pakistani news media reported on Oct. 10, that the Northern Alliance had agreed to form a `20 collective representative council` for establishing a national unity government with former King Zaher Shah, who lived in exile in Italy.

Han Ki-Heung eligius@donga.com