Afghanistan: September 21, 2003

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Taliban and al Qaeda gunmen continue to come across the border from Pakistan. Their main function seems to be attacking foreign aid workers, disrupting rebuilding projects, attacking the usual Taliban targets (music and video stores, schools for girls) and terrorizing civilians who support the government. In some remote border areas, Taliban will move into a village and settle down, using the place for as a base while the operate in nearby villages. When word gets to the local provincial governor, Afghan and US troops will show up and kill some of the Taliban and chase the rest away.  The Afghan soldiers criticize the Americans for not hunting down the Taliban and killing them all, for that is the Afghan way. But the US troops don't want to get involved in such time consuming hunts, especially since the Taliban head back to their Pakistani sanctuaries once they are found out. The Pakistani army and police are beginning to operate on the Pakistani side of the border, but have neither the weapons (smart bombs) or aggressiveness of the American troops.

 

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