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Afghan Battle Mops Up al Qaeda, America Remembers
Tuesday, March 12, 2002
Reuters

US REMEMBERS: President George W.Bush at a ceremony marking six months since the attack on the World Trade Center.
Image Credit: Reuters.

The day of remembrance was set to conclude in New York with the launching of a "Tribute of Light," two powerful beams aimed skyward to symbolise the twin towers.

GARDEZ: US and Afghan troops battled to mop up al Qaeda hold-outs in eastern Afghanistan, as President George W. Bush said six months after strikes on America the war on terrorism had entered a new phase to deny militants sanctuary around the world.

Americans on Monday marked six months since hijacked planes struck landmarks on September 11, recalling the searing images of a nation under attack, grieving for more than 3000 deaths and vowing to vanquish the global threat of terrorism.

But as the United States mounted anti-rebel operations in the Philippines, Georgia and Yemen, routed al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan were said to be regrouping again in several provinces around Kabul.

The emergence of a potential new battleground -- with thousands of Afghan government forces scrambling to head off a fresh uprising -- came as 9 days of fighting around Gardez in eastern Afghanistan, appeared to draw toward a close.
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2002 © Reuters, Ltd.

Dan