U.S. looks for new targets

Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan – U.S. warplanes halted their fierce bombing of a mountain riddled with suspected terrorist dens on Tuesday as American Marines scoured the outskirts of their largest Afghan base for armed Taliban and al-Qaida holdouts.

U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., said the military was considering new targets in its hunt for die-hard supporters of bin Laden and his Taliban allies now that the camp had been eradicated.

An official said the Pentagon has intelligence indicating Taliban or al-Qaida – or their weapons – may be hidden at what he called a handful of places. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to name the places.

“We keep discovering additional caves and additional tunnels and additional caches of weapons and intelligence information. … Very, very sizable arsenals are being discovered,” Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters on Tuesday. “Tanks and artillery pieces and surface-to-air missiles and small arms and all kinds of things. They’ve been in the process of destroying a great deal of it in different locations.”

In the southern city of Kandahar, where U.S.-led coalition forces have established their major post, an active threat remained from remaining enemy fighters. Front-line troops believed their opponents were planning an attack.

U.S. Marine Capt. Dan Greenwood said patrols spotted seven men who appeared to be armed with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers heading toward an abandoned mud house outside the base perimeter around sunset Monday.

The same area was used by gunmen last week to launch an attack while a C-17 transport plane took off with the first batch of 20 prisoners heading for a high-security jail at the U.S. Navy Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

To head off other attacks, the troops blew up a house and a network of tunnels, while bulldozers leveled other mud ruins. Foot patrols searched under cover of light-armored vehicles armed with machine guns.

Meanwhile, civilians in the Zawar area of eastern Afghanistan began returning to their homes, many of them blasted to rubble by a week of heavy U.S. airstrikes targeting a complex of mountain caves where terrorists were believed to be hiding.

Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

The new Crucible Brewing owners Johanna Watson-Andresen and Erik Andresen inside the south Everett brewery on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
South Everett brewery, set to close, finds lifeline in new owners

The husband and wife who bought Crucible Brewing went on some of their first dates there.

The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it's one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo council passes budget with deficit, hopes for new revenue

Proponents said safeguards were in place to make future changes. Detractors called it “irresponsible.”

Andy Bronson/ The Herald 

Everett mayor Ray Stephenson looks over the city on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2015 in Everett, Wa. Stephanson sees  Utah’s “housing first” model – dealing with homelessness first before tackling related issues – is one Everett and Snohomish County should adopt.

Local:issuesStephanson

Shot on: 1/5/16
Economic Alliance taps former Everett mayor as CEO

Ray Stephanson will serve as the interim leader of the Snohomish County group.

Molbak's Garden + Home in Woodinville, Washington will close on Jan. 28. (Photo courtesy of Molbak's)
After tumultuous year, Molbak’s is being demolished in Woodinville

The beloved garden store closed in January. And a fundraising initiative to revitalize the space fell short.

Lane Scott Phipps depicted with an AK-47 tattoo going down the side of his face. (Snohomish County Superior Court)
Man gets 28 years in Lynnwood kidnapping case

Prosecutors also alleged Lane Phipps shot at police officers, but a jury found him not guilty of first-degree assault charges.

The sun sets beyond the the Evergreen Branch of the Everett Public Library as a person returns some books on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘A brutal hit’: Everett library cuts will lead to reduced hours, staffing

The cuts come as the city plans to reduce the library’s budget by 12% in 2025.

FILE — Boeing 737 MAX8 airplanes on the assembly line at the Boeing plant in Renton, Wash., on March 27, 2019. Boeing said on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, that it was shaking up the leadership in its commercial airplanes unit after a harrowing incident last month during which a piece fell off a 737 Max 9 jet in flight. (Ruth Fremson/The New York Times)
Federal judge rejects Boeing’s guilty plea related to 737 Max crashes

The plea agreement included a fine of up to $487 million and three years of probation.

Lynnwood
Man killed in crash into Lynnwood apartment complex

The man in his late 30s or early 40s crashed into the building on 208th Street SW early Thursday morning, officials said.

A person walks up 20th Street Southeast to look at the damage that closed the road on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Public damage costs from bomb cyclone near $20M in Snohomish County

The damage price tag is the first step toward getting federal relief dollars.

Neetha Hsu practices a command with Marley, left, and Andie Holsten practices with Oshie, right, during a puppy training class at The Everett Zoom Room in Everett, Washington on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Tricks of the trade: New Everett dog training gym is a people-pleaser

Everett Zoom Room offers training for puppies, dogs and their owners: “We don’t train dogs, we train the people who love them.”

South County Fire Chief Bob Eastman answers question from the Edmonds City Council on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds residents urge city to reconsider fire annexation

The City Council met Tuesday to review a pre-annexation plan with South County Fire and held a public hearing.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Mukilteo in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Mukilteo police investigate online threat at Kamiak High

Authorities believe other schools around the state may have received similar threats.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.