Winds of Change.NET: The Taliban's Springtime Offensive Wilts in the Summer Heat

June 23, 2005

The Taliban's Springtime Offensive Wilts in the Summer Heat

by Bill Roggio at June 23, 2005 7:00 PM

The Taliban and al Qaeda have stepped up their springtime offensive in Afghanistan in an attempt to thwart the upcoming elections this fall. So far the results have been abysmal. Operations in Afghanistan are netting Taliban bigwigs. Two commanders have been captured, and two more are said to be surrounded. Another has surrendered.

The Afghani Army and police forces are taking an active role in the hunt. US and Afghani forces have met the challenge and well over 150 Taliban fighters have been killed and 150 have fled the country in the past week. Twenty Taliban were killed during a raid a few days ago, and in another individual battle, 76 of the enemy were confirmed killed.

"Their camps were decimated. Bodies lay everywhere. Heavy machine guns and AK-47s were scattered alongside blankets, kettles and food," said Gen. Salim Khan, commander of 400 Afghan policemen who took part in the fighting. "Some of the Taliban were also killed in caves where they were hiding and U.S. helicopters came and pounded them."

The Taliban are making the same mistake as al Qaeda in Iraq - massing in formation and presuming to defeat American and Afghani forces in open combat. It appears the lessons of Abu Ghraib and Camp Gannon have not been properly disseminated to the Taliban via al Qaeda. At this rate, the Taliban will have little to offer by way of opposition come elections this fall.

It would be assumed entering the fourth year of combat with American forces, the Taliban would have figured out that direct confrontation with American forces would lead to disastrous results. They haven�t, and all the better to capture or kill them.

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Comments

#1 from chthus at 7:49 pm on Jun 23, 2005

I'm not sure all of these were examples of the aQ/Taliban trying to fight US led forces in open battle. When they do this, they try an ambush or a direct assualt on their terms at least, not from their own secret hideout.

The fact that we were bombing them in their caves in one case and that bodies and weapons were strewn about with food and bedding in another means that we found them in their safe spot. That usually means intel from locals or even insiders.

So while they may not be as dumb as they would seem if these were all bodycounts from repelled attacks, it does mean that they've got even fewer places to hide and are just as screwed.

Can we assume from this that the planned 'wait seven years and return to Afghanistan' wasn't very feasible for them?

#2 from Mark Buehner at 8:16 pm on Jun 23, 2005

Strange, Nanci Pelosi just declared the insurgency War in Afghanistan is Over

#3 from Mark Buehner at 8:33 pm on Jun 23, 2005

More on Pelosi. The woman is claiming that the war is over, but that we dont have enough troops to fight it because they are in Iraq. Hmm... guys on the ground must be thrilled hearing crap like that.

#4 from Dave Schuler at 8:48 pm on Jun 23, 2005

Mark Buehner:

You misspelled “moron”.

#5 from johnnymozart at 9:18 pm on Jun 23, 2005

Actually, Dave, "Pelosi" is a less common, but still acceptable spelling of "moron", as is "Durbin", "Kucinich", and "Amnesty International"

Hope it helps. :)

#6 from Mixed Humor at 7:06 am on Jun 24, 2005

Pelosi is as irritating as it gets. If anyone should resign, she's a great place to start. Did you see the rant by Lynn Woolsey (D-USSR) on the floor of the House yesterday?

Woolsey's Rant:http://www.washingtonwatchdog.org/war_and_peace/index.html

#7 from Raymond at 7:40 am on Jun 24, 2005

Pelosi

I once heard her railing against human rights abuses in china, on c-span, or somewheres, and she had my heart ... next time I see her, she ruined everything turning back int a commie ingrate.

I figured it out, She is a frigging Maoist lover of the cultural revolution and the 27 Million exterminated in the great leap forward, and since Capitalist roader Deng Xao Peng came to power, taking China from Communist to Facist, thats what her beef is,,,

Its was nothing but her indoctriare dispute between two forms of leftism.

So I should not have bothered, I can read the same blood stained crap off the Revolutionary Worker.

#8 from Mark Buehner at 2:02 pm on Jun 24, 2005

I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and just assume the Botox killed off a bunch of brain cells.