<KHUDJA BAHAOUDIN, Afghanistan, Oct. 12 — After pleading for help to defeat the Taliban, the Afghan opposition force known as the Northern Alliance doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to launch a big military offensive. Based on interviews with soldiers in this enclave in northern Afghanistan, they would rather walk to the front line than fight their way through it.

Dirty Work

I said a couple of weeks ago that it was going to take our blood on the ground to get any respect out of the Afghans. They are convinced we are cowards and we must win a battle on the ground to win that respect. When we have spilled our blood and been victorious it will quiet a lot of the criticism for air strikes and the defections will begin.