At first U.S. commanders hoped to use Afghan units as the main striking force in Operation Anaconda. But Afghan forces showed low combat capabilities and morale on the first day: Under heavy fire they immediately retreated and in some cases ran away. As a result about 1,000 U.S. forces were deployed with other allies almost immediately on the ground, and more are now coming to the area. But this option has not worked well: Coalition ground forces have come under heavy fire and suffered losses, and helicopters also proved vulnerable.
Tactics therefore changed again. Since March 4 the U.S. Air Force has played by far the main role in the operation, with a vast majority of air strikes delivered by aircraft flying at altitudes safe from the Taliban's small arms. B-52s, AC-130s and devastating vacuum bombs are heavily used, and A-10 ground attack planes and Cobra gunships are moving to the area as well. U.S. ground forces are still in Shahi Khot, where the fighting is, but not within firing distance of diehard militants hiding in snow-covered caves. The ground forces' task is to block escape routes and navigate U.S. air strikes. The plan now is to bomb Taliban fighters until all are dead, as they will not surrender. However that would not be enough to consider the operation a success, contrary to what a U.S. military spokesman has said. A ground force at some point should move to the caves and ascertain that everyone there is killed or captured. For that, new U.S. and Afghan reinforcements are being shifted to the area.
Within several days, the United States is likely to capture many caves from where militants fire, but some enemy hideouts -- hidden in deep snow and rocks -- will never be found. Some 100 to 200 diehard fighters in the caves are likely to be killed in the near term, but that will not mean the United States has won either the last major battle with al Qaeda or the last major battle of the Afghan war, as some Pentagon representatives and mass media have claimed.
Tactics therefore changed again. Since March 4 the U.S. Air Force has played by far the main role in the operation, with a vast majority of air strikes delivered by aircraft flying at altitudes safe from the Taliban's small arms. B-52s, AC-130s and devastating vacuum bombs are heavily used, and A-10 ground attack planes and Cobra gunships are moving to the area as well. U.S. ground forces are still in Shahi Khot, where the fighting is, but not within firing distance of diehard militants hiding in snow-covered caves. The ground forces' task is to block escape routes and navigate U.S. air strikes. The plan now is to bomb Taliban fighters until all are dead, as they will not surrender. However that would not be enough to consider the operation a success, contrary to what a U.S. military spokesman has said. A ground force at some point should move to the caves and ascertain that everyone there is killed or captured. For that, new U.S. and Afghan reinforcements are being shifted to the area.
Within several days, the United States is likely to capture many caves from where militants fire, but some enemy hideouts -- hidden in deep snow and rocks -- will never be found. Some 100 to 200 diehard fighters in the caves are likely to be killed in the near term, but that will not mean the United States has won either the last major battle with al Qaeda or the last major battle of the Afghan war, as some Pentagon representatives and mass media have claimed.