February
16, 2007: An American paratroop brigade, that was headed for Iraq, has
been ordered to Afghanistan instead. That would put two U.S. combat brigades in
Afghanistan, rather than the usual one. Various special troops, including
Special Forces, give the U.S. the equivalent of another combat brigade. There
are 27,000 American troops in Afghanistan, and the additional brigade will
increase that to 30,000. The Taliban are boasting that they will put
"10,000 fighters into bloody attacks" this Spring. If so, they will be
facing about three times as many American, NATO and Afghan troops. Some 4,000
people died in Taliban violence last year, most of them Taliban, and less than
a hundred of them Americans and NATO troops.
February
14, 2007: Pakistan has ordered 2.4 million Afghan refugees, some living
in Pakistan since the 1980s, to return home by 2009. Pakistan believes these
refugees, most in camps near the Afghan border, are a major source of Taliban
support. Many of the refugees have made new lives in Pakistan, and have nothing
to go home to. Resistance to this order is expected, especially since the
Afghan government says it cannot handle that many refugees returning so
quickly.
February
13, 2007: British and Afghan troops in the south have driven off a force
of some 700 Taliban fighters, who were trying to stage an attack on a
hydroelectric project. Several dozen Taliban were killed or captured. Some of
the Taliban appear to be al Qaeda foreigners from Pakistan. In the southern
town of Musa Qala, where a pro-Taliban tribal faction has taken over last week,
at least a dozen Taliban in the town were killed, including their leader, and
the rest driven away.
February
12, 2007: NATO commanders believe that they can break Taliban morale, and
military capability, in two years. But this will be easier if NATO had more
troops in action, or if more of the NATO troops in Afghanistan were allowed to
fight.
February
11, 2007: Over the last few days, NATO (mainly British) troops in the
south have spotted, and gone after, large number of Taliban who were apparently
massing to attack a hydroelectric project. So far, at least 21 Taliban have
been killed. Meanwhile, for the first time in months, two Taliban rockers were
fired at Kandahar airport. One man was wounded.
February
11, 2007: Pakistan is largely ignoring American artillery firing across
the border at Taliban mortar, rocket launching or machine-gun positions in
Pakistan. The U.S. guns take out the Taliban fighters, who believe they are
safe from such retaliation because of the official rules prohibiting American
artillery from firing in Pakistan.
