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| Afghanistan |
| Afghan government, NATO prepare to wrest back Taliban town |
| 2007-02-03 |
| The Afghan government and its NATO allies are preparing to take back a remote town occupied by the Taliban, who vowed to resist as residents fled fearing military strikes. The rebels raised the Taliban movement's white flag over government offices in the small southern town of Musa Qala in Helmand province, which they stormed late Thursday, a provincial tribal chief said citing locals. Provincial authorities would drop leaflets into the town on Sunday to tell the Taliban to leave or "face our very serious reaction," Helmand province information chief Jan Gul Khan said. "If the letters are dropped and the Taliban don't abandon the area, we'll take action," he said Saturday. The situation was unclear but "we have indications that Taliban are fortifying their positions in the district centre," said Colonel Thomas Collins, spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. "They control a small area but to say they control the entire district is going too far," Collins said. The British military deployed in Helmand under ISAF vacated the town, capital of Musa Qala district, about four months ago after a controversial deal in which the tribal leaders said they would keep control. Authorities were "working on a plan" to take back the area, interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told reporters. "It will be a serious attack in the very near future," he said. ISAF said the government's authority would be restored "at a time and manner of (its) choosing" and the 37-nation force was ready to assist. ... |
| Posted by:ed |
| #3 Actually, if you think about it, the biggest problem fighting Lions of Islam(TM) is to make them fight. And they just can't resist defending fortified positions. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-02-03 22:10 |
| #2 The taliban flag is the same as the French? |
| Posted by: Phineter Thraviger 2007-02-03 21:15 |
| #1 Just be sure to both cover the exits and to have lateral security ready for any efforts at reinforcement. This should be a 100% take down. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-02-03 18:51 |