If the Taliban were 'Eviscerated' nearly 7 years ago who are we killing now? Their children?

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.iht.com/articles/2001/10/17/attack_ed3__8.php

Taliban Is 'Eviscerated,' Pentagon Declares : Deadly Gunship Joins U.S. Air Attack Force

By Brian KnowltonPublished: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2001

WASHINGTON: The U.S. military introduced one of its deadliest aircraft amid fierce aerial raids Tuesday on Afghanistan, and the White House expressed new determination to force the Taliban rulers to hand over militants of the Qaida network headed by Osama bin Laden.

For the first time since U.S.-led forces launched an assault on the Taliban and suspected terrorist targets Oct. 7, a U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship joined the campaign, using high-power cannon and heavy machine guns to attack a Taliban stronghold near Kandahar, military officials said.

"The combat power of the Taliban has been eviscerated," said Lieutenant General Gregory Newbold of the Marine Corps, in one of the strongest Pentagon assessments of the effectiveness of 10 days of air strikes.

[babylonsister]

1. Great catch; who indeed? nt

[htuttle]

2. They got better.

[KharmaTrain]

3. Ain't War Grand...

Ahhh...the halcyon days when American might would "shock and awe" them A-rabs. The bravado...the macho...the total lack of understanding. The total lack of addressing the problems of the people of the country that allowed the Taliban to survive and now thrive. The complete void of leadership in learning the lessons of the Russians and British in that region and ending up in a "Groundhog's Day" war with an enemy that had more to fight for.

As is always said about a war...you can plan how to start one, you don't always have the option of how to end one.

Cheers...

[MiniMe]

4. They practiced a catch and release program with the Taliban

If they stopped fighting, they could go home, gun in hand.

[mmonk]

5. I plan to post something soon concerning Afghanistan, Pakistan,

and the Taliban (currently working on it and getting the right research). The Taliban are alive and well and hold quite a bit of territory inside PAKISTAN.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Yesterday's NY Times had a long article...

about the Taliban coming back with the help of old Afghani warlords and the inability of the Pakistanis to wipe out their bases in NW Pakistan. Our own diplomatic fuckups were not ignored.

The Times seemed to see the Taliban taking back Aghanistan as inevitable.

[mmonk]

7. In my piece, people will see that the Pakistani military

have allies in its ranks with the Taliban. This was cultivated under former Prime Minister Sarif in order to give the Pakistani military, in the words of the Late Benazir Bhutto, "the reach it wanted".

[spanone]

8. the 'war on terror' has been as effective as the 'war on drugs'

[DCKit]

14. If that were true, drugs would be plentiful and cheap.

Silly.

[kenny blankenship]

9. Their successful breakout of around 900 inmates of the Kandahar prison

just underscores what great progress we've been making in Afghanistan. That they'd have to resort to freeing their old cronies with mortars, rockets, and truck bombs just shows how desperate they are!

Yes, I think we got them this time, Yossarian. I think they're on the run now, I think we've hit them where it hurts!

[Squatch]

10. Taliban fighters who escaped to the safe havens inside the Paki tribal regions

Really...these guys have had 6 years of relatively safe and worry-free reorganization in Pakistan as the Musharraf government was absolutely petrified about going after them.

"ISLAMABAD: The Awami National Party-led government of the North-West Frontier Province has signed a peace accord with Taliban militants in the Swat Valley.

As per the accord, the Army would withdraw from the region and Sharia law imposed. In return, the Taliban would accept the government’s authority and halt attacks. The government was negotiating a separate peace accord with militants headed by Beithullah Mehsud — accused of masterminding Benazir Bhutto’s assassination — in South Waziristan."

Link

[DearAbby]

11. And they are in the last throes....nt

[tabasco]

12. Bush said "the Taliban is no more" many times.

Could the Commander Guy have been wrong, or lying?

"Because of the bravery of the United States military and our friends and coalitions, the Taliban is no more."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/10/20031009-22.html

[JackRiddler]

13. To answer your question...

No, their children is who we're supposed to be killing in another 7 years.

[Bluerthanblue]

15. good point- Like all bin laden's "right hand men"- the guy

has more right hands than I do freckles-

:shrug:

peace~

[DefenseLawyer]

16. ISID n/t