三级aa视频在线观看-三级国产-三级国产精品一区二区-三级国产三级在线-三级国产在线

  Home>News Center>World
         
 

US sets up copter base in Afghan mountains
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-03-24 08:36

Using bulldozers to slice bunkers and a helicopter landing pad out of a mountainside, U.S. special operations forces dug in Tuesday on a peak overlooking Pakistan - fortifying the area for the intensifying battle against al-Qaeda and Taliban forces.

Special operations forces - who include Green Berets, Navy SEALs, and CIA operatives - are playing a secretive but leading role in the battle against al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects believed to be hiding out in the mountains of Pakistan's tribal areas.

Remote posts like this one near the Afghan city of Orgun, scratched out of a mountainside to house a small contingent of U.S. forces and a larger Afghan militia unit, serve as forward launch pads for the fight.

An Associated Press writer on Tuesday became the first to report from the special operations' observation post since the start of Operation Mountain Storm, a 2-week-old American offensive designed to capture Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenants.

Village elders in this hamlet of 45 families in Paktika province said the Americans arrived 18 days ago with Afghan militia.

The camp is home to 60 Americans, working with 200 Afghan militia, the Afghan militiamen say. The Westerners wear T-shirts and sunglasses, and most sport beards and mustaches, with pistols strapped to their legs. Rank and file U.S. soldiers must remain in uniform and are banned from growing beards, but special operations forces are not subject to the same regulations.

Villagers see the Americans out building their base and patrolling, at times with allied Afghan militia - helping close the border against what villagers say are frequent incursions by al-Qaeda and Taliban.

The U.S. military says its forces also are sharing information with Pakistani troops across the border - intelligence typically coming everywhere from satellites to intercepted radio calls.

On Tuesday, the Americans were erecting 100 yards of wire fence along the border beside their base. They also dug holes, which will become bunkers, to live in while their Afghan allies put up tents.

Workers used construction equipment to level a helipad.

Americans around the camp refused to speak to AP. Relaying their request through Afghan militiamen, they eventually asked the reporter to leave, saying no journalists were allowed in the area.

The U.S. military as a matter of policy does not comment on special operations. But asked about buildup along the Afghan-Pakistan border in the area, U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty said: "We do have some positions that are constantly changing. We are constantly rearranging."

On the Pakistan side, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has said about a dozen U.S. "technical experts" are in his country. Some are located across the border from the special operations post in Miran Shah, Pakistani intelligence officials told AP.

Last week, a Pakistani army spokesman, Gen. Shaukat Sultan, said a dozen or so U.S. intelligence agents were in the country "assisting Pakistan in technical intelligence and surveillance." The CIA declined to comment.

Afghan villagers near the new post said they welcomed the U.S. crackdown, saying they have come under a growing cross-border rocket barrage from Pakistan.

"So many rockets. We are living in fear of rockets," said shopkeeper Shawar Khan in Sisandi, a village near the U.S. encampment.

Both sides of the border around Miran Shah have come under repeated rocket attacks by militants hoping to hit U.S. or Afghan military posts. Authorities blame al-Qaeda fugitives and allied Pakistan tribesmen. Taliban fighters are believed to be hiding in the mountains as well.

No uniformed American forces have been seen in recent days along one of the front lines in the U.S. campaign against terror suspects based in Pakistan's North and South Waziristan, locals say.

Across the border and about 45 miles to the south, in South Waziristan, Pakistan's military has arrested scores in its toughest and bloodiest operation against terror suspects in the tribal areas since Musharraf allied with the United States against terror in 2001.

These mountains in Afghanistan are a hot spot as well.

On March 5, U.S. special operations forces killed nine suspected insurgents near this stretch of border when a group of 30 to 40 men appeared to try to flank a U.S.-Afghan position here, the U.S. military said.

Village leaders say Taliban and al-Qaeda attackers cross the border at will. Asked for proof, they laughed, as if there could be no doubt.

"Everyone can come easily into Afghanistan. Everyone can go easily into Pakistan," said Mohammed Khan, another shopkeeper in Sisandi. "There are no Afghan checkpoints."

"For 2 1/2 years, they are coming and attacking" from Waziristan, said Shawar Khan. "That's why in this area, there are no schools, there's no health clinics, there's no development. Everyone is afraid to come to our area."

Since the Americans' arrival, villagers have stayed inside after dark, saying the U.S. security outweighed the inconvenience of the curfew.

The U.S. and Afghan forces have closed this part of the border, at least, to any attacks, Mohammed Khan said.

"Right now, from this area, it's impossible that anyone can come," the villager said. "But it's a huge border."

 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Anti-China motion disrupts human rights dialogue

 

   
 

Powell: US observes one-China policy

 

   
 

NASA: Salty sea covered part of Mars

 

   
 

Japan nixes WWII labourers' pay

 

   
 

And the Beijing Olympic mascot is...

 

   
 

US sets up copter base in Afghan mountains

 

   
  Rumsfeld: Killing bin Laden would's have stopped 9/11
   
  Israeli tanks roll into Palestinian refugee camp
   
  Israel vows to kill more militant leaders
   
  US sets up copter base in Afghan mountains
   
  Russian admiral causes flap over nuclear ship risk
   
  NASA: Salty sea covered part of Mars
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Al-Qaeda suspects may have fled in tunnel
   
Al-Qaeda's No 2 claims to have nukes
   
Sources: Al Qaeda No 2 leader surrounded
   
Fighting follows Afghan minister's killing
   
France: Bin Laden nearly caught in Afghanistan
   
Bin Laden may be eyeing move
   
100 die in violence as Afghan minister assassinated
  News Talk  
  "De dao doi zhuo, ce dao gua zhuo" as exemplified by the UN resolution on The Israeli Wall  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 91精品啪在线观看国产色 | 国产视频一区二区三区四区 | 在线精品国内外视频 | 久久99精品一级毛片 | 国内精自线一二区 | 色天天综合网 | 在线观看国产高清免费不卡黄 | 国产呦精品系列在线 | 欧美日韩一区二区三区四区 | 国产精品无码久久综合网 | 可以免费看黄色 | 精品极品三级久久久久 | 日本中文字幕不卡免费视频 | 国产成年人网站 | 91成年人免费视频 | 久久亚洲国产成人精品性色 | 2020国产微拍精品一区二区 | 一级做a爰片性色毛片小说 一级做a爰片性色毛片中国 | 日韩伦理中文字幕 | 亚洲国产精品婷婷久久 | 久久精品国产免费一区 | 国产精品二区页在线播放 | 国产一级毛片国语版 | a级在线看 | 国产亚洲一区二区三区啪 | 久久国产大片 | 欧美中日韩在线 | 成年美女黄网站色大免费视频 | 日本美女黄色一级片 | 久久99国产精一区二区三区! | 久久精品免看国产成 | 国产成a人亚洲精v品久久网 | 最刺激黄a大片免费观看 | 欧美一级aa免费毛片 | 中文字幕日韩国产 | 婷婷久月| 国产成人精品视频2021 | 爽爽爽爽爽爽a成人免费视频 | 国产高清专区 | 中文字幕在线影院 | 亚洲一级理论片 |