The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — U.S. special forces have begun the ground phase of America’s war against terrorism in Afghanistan, operating in small numbers in southern Afghanistan in support of the CIA’s existing effort in the Taliban heartland, defense officials said Thursday.
Their presence on the battlefield comes amid growing indications that the war’s intensity is about to increase dramatically after 11 days of U.S. and British airstrikes, which Pentagon officials say have pummeled the defenses of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban militia.
The number of U.S. personnel on the ground is just a handful now and is unlikely to ever resemble the large number of conventional forces assembled in the Persian Gulf War a decade ago, defense officials said. But their presence marks a turning point in only the second week of the conflict, heightening the risk to U.S. forces and underscoring the seriousness of the Bush administration’s commitment to pursue its war against terrorism.
The new special forces mission in southern Afghanistan is designed to expand an ongoing CIA effort in the region to encourage ethnic Pashtun leaders to break away from the Taliban militia, a senior defense official said.
But another official said additional special forces are likely to be deployed soon and could take on other missions such as reconnaissance, target designation for aircraft and, on rare occasions, direct attacks on Taliban or terrorist leaders.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, briefing reporters at the Pentagon, declined to comment on the presence of special forces in Afghanistan "until we have an activity that is significant and noticeable." But Rumsfeld noted that aircraft "cannot really do sufficient damage. … They can’t crawl around on the ground and find people."
As Rumsfeld hinted at the impending ground war, EC-130 "Commando Solo" psychological operations aircraft filled the airwaves of Afghanistan with instructions to civilians to follow when U.S. troops arrive: "Attention! People of Afghanistan, United States forces will be moving through your area," according to transcripts released by the Pentagon.
"We are here for Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida and those who protect them! Please, for your own safety, stay off bridges and roadways, and do not interfere with our troops or military operations. If you do this, you will not be harmed."
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
