U.S. Airstrikes Climb Sharply in Afghanistan

[cal04]

The Air Force has conducted more than 2,000 airstrikes in Afghanistan over the past six months, a sharp increase in bombing that reflects the growing demand for American air cover since NATO has assumed a larger ground combat role, Air Force officials said.

The intensifying air campaign has focused on southern Afghanistan, where NATO units, primarily from Britain, Canada and the Netherlands, as well as American Special Forces have been engaging in the heaviest and most frequent ground combat with Taliban rebels since the invasion five years ago.

The NATO forces are mostly operating without heavy armor or artillery support, and as Taliban resistance has continued, more air support has been used to compensate for the lightness of the units, Air Force officials said. Most of the strikes have come during “close air support” missions, where the bombers patrol the area and respond to calls from ground units in combat rather than performing planned strikes.

On a recent 11-hour mission that included a reporter for The New York Times, a B-1 bomber orbited at 20,000 feet, responding to radio calls from American and Canadian troops who asked the plane to use its radar to watch for insurgent forces and to be prepared to drop bombs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/17/world/asia/17bomber.html?hp&ex=1163739600&en=082f45308ea973a4&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[wtmusic]

1. That hi-tech equipment can tell the difference between a civilian

and an insurgent from 20,000 feet? How Wonderful!

[Nihil]

2. Yep ...

... the civilian is walking around with the correct number of arms & legs
whilst the insurgent is a gory mess who was carefully targetted by the
hi-tech equipment.

It's amazing really, the latest equipment is so good that it can see
through the facade and still blow up those insurgents who had disguised
themselves to look like civilians but it never blows up a real civilian
by mistake (according to the preceding definitions of course).