U.S. warns of "desperate" Taliban

[Cocoa]

US warns of 'desperate' Taleban

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4452207.stm

The head of US forces in Afghanistan says the Taleban are "desperate" and "dangerous" and could try to mount a high-profile attack soon.

Lt Gen David Barno said much of the Taleban was close to collapse and would rejoin the Afghan political process.

But he said a hardcore of supporters would "grow more and more desperate to try to change the course of events".

The US has about 18,000 troops backing the Afghan government and tracking remnants of the Taleban and al-Qaeda.


Gen Barno said at a news conference in the capital, Kabul: "Terrorists here in Afghanistan want to reassert themselves and I expect that they will be looking here, over the next six to nine months or so, to stage some type of high-visibility attack."

The general did not say whether there was any information on specific targets.

"I think we must all remain realistic and clear-eyed with the understanding that the enemy is still dangerous," Gen Barno said.

more...

[napi21]

1. I'm sure he's right. Radical groups who lose power always try desperate

means to regain it. I'm sure we're seeing the same thing in Iraq.

Wait till we see what the RW extremeists try here in the US when they feel they're losing control!

[Roland99]

3. What do you meant wait? The radical "Christian" right is already doing it

We have a clash of fundamentalisms going on in the middle east and sw asia. Propagandist vs. militant Islam.

[napi21]

6. I realize that. I mean HERE in the US!

There hasn't been much if any physical attacks by the fundies in quite a while (that I remember). There for a while, you had constant attacks on Women's health clinics, gays being attacked and killed, and of course the terrible Ok. City bombing. I have no idea why it seems to have quieted down, but when these people realize they are losing the total control they think they now have, under the leadership of their dear old Shrub, I bet you'll see all that stuff come back.

[Rose Siding]

2. So, if it gets worse....

that means we're winning? There goes Pickles' tourism plan.

These guys need some new material.

[Cocoa]

4. they usually wait until after the attack

to call them desperate. They're doing some pre-emptive spinning here.

I think the biggest shock to most Americans, when the Taliban strike, will be that the Taliban still exist, most have completely forgotten about Afghanistan whatsoever.

Here's the scary part of this article:

He said the group was changing its tactics, saying it planned to train suicide bombers to carry out attacks.

" is an easy way for us to have a longer-term war of attrition and would also not cost many lives for us," he said.

[mom cat]

8. I had the same gut reaction to the article. What is the US planning to do?

Every time the admin squakers demonizing a group or whining about some potential violence, it means that the govt is planning something terrible!

[Robbien]

5. One could say BushCo is becoming more and more desperate in Iraq

as we to try to change the course of events.

[smirkymonkey]

7. The "desperate" Bush Administration is more like it...

[cureautismnow]

9. Indeed.

Desperate for a shred of credibility on ANYTHING.

[NNN0LHI]

10. But still no word of the 7 soldiers missing from the helo that went down

We just hear about 'desperate' Taleban who Rumsfeld said were eviscerated three years ago.

Don

[thecrow]

11. Yeah, what he said!!

I thought that we had DEFEATED AND REMOVED the Taliban???
At least that's what my RW fundie brother keeps telling me..

[Igel]

15. The number was 2 missing. n/t

[NNN0LHI]

17. We are both wrong. The DoD said six were missing

http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20050411-2467.html

DoD Identifies Army Casualties and Soldiers as Whereabouts Unknown

The Department of Defense announced today the death of eight Soldiers and the identity of six Soldiers listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN) who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. The soldiers died or became unaccounted for on April 6 in Ghazni, Afghanistan, when the CH-47 helicopter they were on crashed.



Killed were:



Maj. Edward J. Murphy, 36, of South Carolina. Murphy was assigned to the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Camp Ederle, Italy.



Chief Warrant Officer David Ayala, 24, of New York, N.Y. Ayala was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, 12th Aviation Brigade, Giebelstadt, Germany.



Chief Warrant Officer Clint J. Prather, 32, of Cheney, Wash. Prather was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, 12th Aviation Brigade, Giebelstadt, Germany.



Master Sgt. Edwin A. Matoscolon, 42, of Juana Diaz, P.R. Matoscolon was assigned to Division Artillery, 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.



Staff Sgt. Charles R. Sanders Jr., 29, of Charleston, Mo. Sanders was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, 12th Aviation Brigade, Giebelstadt, Germany.



Spc. Daniel J. Freeman, 20, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Freeman was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, Camp Ederle, Italy.



Spc. Chrystal G. Stout, 23, of Travelers Rest, S.C. Stout was assigned to the Army National Guard's 228th Signal Brigade, Spartanburg, S.C.



Pfc. Pendelton L. Sykes II, 25, of Chesapeake, Va. Sykes was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, 12th Aviation Brigade, Giebelstadt, Germany.

[Igel]

23. Thank you.

My mental database is duly updated. (No, seriously, I really do like it if I'm wrong and find out.)

[hadrons]

12. love how these "desperate" groups are still able to mount huge operations

according to Bush, Custer had the Indians on the run

[msongs]

13. the christian taliban is a bigger threat in the long term.........

the islamic taliban might kill thousands of people.

the christian taliban has killed 100,000 people in Iraq and is threatening the religious freedom of the entire planet.

BTW some say 400,000 americans die every year from tobacco related causes yet the christian taliban is not mounting a massive attack against that industry.

hmmmmm

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[rodeodance]

20. The Gen. wants to make sure that the new billions are coming his way

[Rex]

14. Last time I checked the WTC was still gone and OBL remains at large.

If anyone is desperate and dangerous it would be the BFEE.

[Cocoa]

21. but John Walker Lindh is safely locked up

remember him?

[Rex]

22. Thank God! Notice how he has three names! He could have been

a future presidential assassin! I feel safer already.

[Deja Q]

16. Last I recall, * was hyping how good it was that the taliban was decimated

Now they're still a big force, desperate to do anything?

Uh-huh.

Zachari or whateverhisnameis has been dead and sought after and captured and dead again and captured again and dead again and still on the loose many times too.

[AKing]

18. I thought we "smoked them out"?

[Maple]

19. The Taliban announced some time ago

that they would lay low over the winter, because it's hard to get around in Afghanistan then, and be back in full force in the spring.

Well, it's spring. Hence these fake warnings.