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U.S. Making Mistakes, Rebel General Says
Thursday, November 8, 2001
By David Rennie / The Daily Telegraph

“Until two months ago, America supported Pakistan, the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. We need a long time before we trust America.”

DASHT-E QALA, Afghanistan
A Northern Alliance general says Afghan rebels have been unimpressed by the accuracy of the U.S. bombing campaign and do not trust the United States.

General Barialai Khan, the Northern Alliance's suave frontline logistics chief, said days of high-altitude bombing runs over the Khoja Ghar front have destroyed fewer than a dozen Taliban positions, which are often no more than “earth and mud.”

He added the Americans were offering “60%” co-operation with the Northern Alliance and listed a string of technical hurdles limiting their air strikes.

These include too few troops guiding bombs onto Taliban targets and the lack of an air base in Tajikistan from which shorter range, but more accurate, fighter-bombers could launch raids.

“They need airfields, but Uzbekistan will not give them airfields for attacks,” he said.

“They need to co-ordinate, not just with us, but with our neighbours. Tajikistan is very important at this time, more than Uzbekistan.”
(More: NationalPost.com News Source)
2001 © The Daily Telegraph.

Dan