Offensive in southeast Afghanistan commences.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-03-20 12:27am

BAGRAM, Afghanistan — As U.S. troops were engaged in an opening strike against Iraq, the military also launched a terrorist-seeking raid in Afghanistan. The operation, dubbed "Valiant Strike," is taking place in the air and on the ground southeast of Kandahar, Fox News has learned.

About 1,000 troops from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division were combing southeastern Afghanistan for members of Al Qaeda and its elusive leader, Usama bin Laden. Operation Valiant Strike is the biggest U.S. terrorist-seeking operation in over a year, military officials said.

Officials in Afghanistan confirmed the operation in the remote, mountainous area was underway, but would provide no further details.

"I do not have anything to say about the Kandahar operation at this time," said Col. Roger King, U.S. army spokesman at the U.S. headquarters at Bagram.

The troops left from their base in Kandahar, the former Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan.

Radio transmissions had been detected coming from caves above the villages, said military officials in Washington .

It was the largest U.S. military operation in Afghanistan since Operation Anaconda just over a year ago. That eight-day battle involved hundreds of Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters against thousands of American and allied Afghan troops.

There have been a series of raids on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in the weeks since authorities captured Al Qaeda's No. 3 figure, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, in Pakistan on March 1. Authorities have said Mohammed is giving information to U.S. interrogators and have said some of the subsequent arrests came as a result of Mohammed's capture.

Mohammed, an alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, is being interrogated by American officials at an undisclosed location.

The agents who captured him in a suburb of Islamabad found computers, mobile telephones, documents and other evidence that could help lead to other Al Qaeda members.

There have been increased attacks on Afghan government posts in southern Afghanistan in recent weeks. The authorities have blamed remnants of Taliban, Al Qaeda and loyalists of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a renegade rebel commander labeled a terrorist by the United States.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-03-20 12:50am

Fox News has reported POWs already captured in this operation.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-03-20 12:52am

Was anyone expecting this? I sure wasn't. This may have been a good move, focusing solely on Iraq while secretly planning to go after al-Qaida again.

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-03-20 01:02am

It makes sense, remined the bastards that were not going to slack off just because were busy elsewhere.

Hope we nailed someone important and sent the rest on to paradise with a 5.56mm FMJ ticket

Falkenhorst · Post by **Falkenhorst** » 2003-03-20 02:29am

HELL YEAH

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-20 04:54am

HEHEHEH I wasn't expecting this either, lol

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-20 06:13am

Heard that the Army let Geraldo do a LIVE brodcast right from one
of the villages the 82nd was hitting.

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-03-20 06:15am

MKSheppard wrote:Heard that the Army let Geraldo do a LIVE brodcast right from one
of the villages the 82nd was hitting.

Good grief!! You gotta be kidding me! Of all people, him?

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-20 06:16am

EmperorMing wrote: Good grief!! You gotta be kidding me! Of all people, him?

Yeah, from what I heard, they loaded him onto a CH-47 and took him
with them, and he did the broadcast using a satellite phone hookup and
a webcam

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-03-20 06:17am

They should have taken Jerry Springer. Would have been more interesting...

"You are the Diet Coke of Evil..."

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-20 06:20am

EmperorMing wrote:They should have taken Jerry Springer. Would have been more interesting...

"You are the Diet Coke of Evil..."

See the film here:

http://www.foxnews.com/

U.S. Troops Raid Afghan Villages
About 1,000 GIs part of 'Valiant Strike'
• Video: Geraldo Reports

Warspite · Post by **Warspite** » 2003-03-20 06:52am

Well, now there was an inteligent move... Someone has been reading military history books.
Now really, the 101st need s to be deployed, otherwise, the 82nd will be unbeareble, when they return to the US. (The rivalry between both divisions is still going on, right?)

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2003-03-20 11:04am

It was a good move, wasn't it.

I guess they had reports that implied that the taliban and Al-Queda would come back over the Afganistan-Pakistan boarder when the US commenced an attack in Iraq. Fucking-A, come on over Ackmed and bring Usama with you...

Kelly Antilles · Post by **Kelly Antilles** » 2003-03-20 11:13am

MKSheppard wrote:Heard that the Army let Geraldo do a LIVE brodcast right from one
of the villages the 82nd was hitting.

Did they get him?

Kelly Antilles · Post by **Kelly Antilles** » 2003-03-20 11:14am

Actually, I think it's fabulous. We've now shown everyone, N. Korea included, that we haven't stretched our resources too much.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-03-20 03:52pm

Heheh!

Just as Al-Quaeda thinks it's safe to peek out from hiding...

BLAM! Dance, you bastards!

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-03-20 04:11pm

Operations in Afghanistan are under the same theater command as Iraq. But overall I'd expect there operating on there own schedule .

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-03-20 04:30pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:Operations in Afghanistan are under the same theater command as Iraq. But overall I'd expect there operating on there own schedule .

With two wars on his plate, Franks must be busier than a one legged man at an ass kicking contest.