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Afghanistan: The Winter Offensive
The week long American offensive has led to the arrest of about three dozen terrorist suspects, and the killing of at least ten who resisted. Weapons, documents and communications equipment has been seized as well. The offensive has gotten the attention of both the Taliban and al Qaeda networks in Afghanistan, sending many terrorists running for new hiding places. The offensive mainly consists of hundreds of raids against suspected terrorist hideouts. It's Winter now, and men fleeing through mountain passes and valleys show up better to heat sensing vidcams. These devices are mounted on many UAVs that can constantly prowl the back country. Fugitives like to hide in the many caves found in Afghanistan's hills. But in the Winter, starting a fire in a cave just makes it easier for the heat sensors to spot you and bring a chopper full of American troops your way. The Taliban and al Qaeda know about the heat sensors, but they also know how to cope, to a point, with the Winter cold, out in the open and in caves. The Winter offensive is a bold move, and long planned. It will be several more weeks before it is known how successful it is. So far, the only friendly casualties have been four Afghan policemen killed by a roadside bomb.Posted by: ed 2004-12-17 |
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