The British reporter on this mornings lead news story sounded very alarmed. I looked for the most recent version of events, found this story filed 8 hours ago:
AP Taliban take over villages north of Kandahar
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Hundreds of Taliban fighters invaded villages just outside Afghanistan's second-largest city Monday, forcing NATO and Afghan troops to rush in while frightened residents fled.
The Taliban assault on the outskirts of Kandahar is the latest display of prowess by the militants despite a record number of U.S. and NATO troops in the country.
Meanwhile, our commander in chief, standing next to Gordon Brown yesterday, makes this statement:
"The Taliban are losing the fight in southern Afghanistan," he said.
Continuing the stories urgency:
The push into the Arghandab district — a lush region filled with grape and pomegranate groves that the Soviet army could never conquer — comes three days after a Taliban attack on Kandahar's prison that freed 400 insurgent fighters.
Those fighters, NATO conceded Monday, appear to be massing on the doorstep of the Taliban's former power base. The city of Kandahar lies only 10 miles to the southeast.
I can imagine Gordon Brown is going to face a very irate question and answer period next time in the House of Commons.
He bent over backwards to give Bush 3 positive positions, regarding Iran, Afghanistan and repeating the success of the surge meme.
Meanwhile, things are unraveling in the Afghan front, with Karzai threatening Pakistan and arranging demonstrations to
be televised, stirring up tribal emotions.
On Monday, hundreds of Afghans demonstrated in eastern Afghanistan in support of Karzai's threat.
Pakistan summoned the Afghan ambassador and said it would "defend its territorial sovereignty" in a spat marking a new low in relations between key partners in the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
President Bush, speaking in London, said the United States can help calm the "testy situation." Bush said the U.S. mission remains to deny safe haven to extremists who want to kill innocent people.
"That's the strategy of Afghanistan. It needs to be the strategy of Pakistan," Bush said.
Britain announced it would send 230 more British troops to Afghanistan, bringing the country's troop strength there to more than 8,000, said British Defense Secretary Des Browne.
He said the increase signaled an expansion of the country's mission to include greater emphasis on building the capacity of the Afghan forces.
"The Taliban are losing the fight in southern Afghanistan," he said.
How Bush can put lipstick on the Kandahar situation is ludicrous.
The sophisticated and successful jailbreak, followed by the movement into Arghandab, is the latest evidence of the Taliban's growing strength. The U.S. and NATO have pleaded for more troops in the last year and now have 65,000 in the country. But the militants are still finding successes the international alliance can't counter.
"Three days ago, inside of a 30-minute operation, the Taliban freed hundreds of prisoners, and NATO, the Canadians, the Americans, didn't do anything," said Mohammad Asif, 30, of Kandahar. "Now more than 500 Taliban are living in Arghandab. They are occupying the region."
Mohammad Farooq, the government leader in Arghandab, said about 500 Taliban fighters moved into his district and took over several villages. He said families were fleeing even as Canadian, U.S. and Afghan forces were moving in.
A large river bisects Arghandab's fertile lands. The east side, closest to Kandahar, is controlled by NATO and Afghan troops, Farooq said. The area to the river's west is now controlled by the Taliban.
Afghanistan I think is the six foot hole where Bush's War President legacy will be buried.
UPDATE: from a little over an hour ago....Reuters and AFP both report confusion about how many bridges have been blown up. But there is a report of sophisticated weaponry.
Reuter's version
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Scores of families fled their homes in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday as foreign and Afghan forces prepare to drive out Taliban insurgents who have overrun several villages, officials and witnesses said.
About 600 Taliban insurgents took over several villages in Arghandab district in the south on Monday, days after they had freed hundreds of prisoners, including about 400 militants, after an attack on the main jail in Kandahar city.
"There are hundreds of them (Taliban) with sophisticated weapons. They have blown up several bridges and are planting mines everywhere," Mohammad Usman, a taxi driver who evacuated a family on Tuesday from the district, told reporters in Kandahar.
Ahmad Wali Karzai, the head of Kandahar's provincial council and a brother of President Hamid Karzai, said about 600 Taliban had positioned themselves in Arghandab district, which lies 20 km (12 miles) to the north of Kandahar city, one of Afghanistan's largest cities.
AFP version
UPDATE II Like A Hurricane mentioned in comments:
I first heard this last night. On Fox no less. (3+ / 0-)
Shep Smith's program. And he sounded alarmed as he reported it. So why isn't this being more widely reported? Still, the Fox faithful, if they were watching Shep, did hear this. But was it reported anywhere else on FNC? MSNBC? CNN?
by Like A Hurricane on Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 05:18:09 AM PDT
So I went to the Fox story and it explains how a force of 500 Taliban in defensive position might just cause some long term havoc in Southern Afghanistan.
The Afghan army flew four planeloads of soldiers to Kandahar from the capital, Kabul, on Tuesday. Canadian forces have also moved in to the region.
"When we get permission from commanders, we will attack the Taliban," Mohammad said.
Aircraft of the NATO-led security force dropped leaflets in the Arghandab area telling residents that Afghan troops were coming to force out the Taliban and warning residents to say indoors in case fighting breaks out, said spokesman Mark Laity.
"Some 700 Afghan troops have moved into Arghandab region," he said.
The Taliban assault Monday on the outskirts of Kandahar was the latest display of strength by the militants despite a record number of U.S. and NATO troops in the country.
UPDATE III From the Winnipeg Sun I learned something, that Karzai's brother is in charge down there...(didn't we just figure out he's a crook?)
KANDAHAR -- Taliban fighters stormed onto the doorstep of Afghanistan's second-largest city yesterday, claiming control of villages, bombing bridges and scattering landmines to keep Canadian and other international troops at bay.
The head of the Kandahar provincial council and brother of President Hamid Karzai said the rebels had seized a handful of villages and were believed to be seeking a bigger target: Kandahar city.
Canadian soldiers were playing a major role in the push to keep the Taliban from advancing and are accompanied by the Afghan army and U.S. special forces, said Ahmed Wali Karzai.
But their path was blocked by bombed-out drainage culverts and landmines planted by the rebels, he added.
Karzai said Taliban had seized control of villages in the Arghandab valley close to Kandahar city, birthplace of the religious fanatics.
"They have taken over there," Karzai said in a telephone interview. "There are also strong rumours that they will attack Kandahar city at strategic points -- my house, the government's house, the police station."
UPDATE IV Googling for US sources is fruitless, but PALADINE found a video link. In fact, the CanadianBroadcastingCorp video link might give us the truest take on the situation...