5 US troops killed in Argon; 400 shifted to Bagram; fall-back decision taken to avoid further death toll, harsh reaction at home

KHOST The US troops have fled from Gardez. Four hundred US soldiers were shifted to Bagram airbase. The decision was made after the local tribes and Tajik warriors flatly refused to fight the Al-Qaeda mujahideen.

Heavy death toll of the US troops, analysts believe, was the major element that forced the Americans to fall back from Gardez, because further stay in the area might raise the casualty toll, resulting in a harsh reaction at home.

The US army had to desist from resorting to use Desycatter bombs and other mass-destruction weapons only after the mujahideen took the captured US soldiers to their camp and made them speak to their masters on the wireless.

The captured US soldiers pleaded with their bosses not to drop destructive bombs; which might kill them also. That is why, the Americans did not use fatal weapons in spite of suffering heaving death toll of their troops, analysts observe.

There are reports of strife between Commander Bacha Khan, a US supporter, and other Afghan commanders.

It is interesting to note that the international media is engaged in trying to prove the US defeat as a success. Nevertheless, the US President has confessed heavy losses of men and material. *

US TROOPS LEAVE KHOST AND KANDAHAR: After meeting a

nightmarish defeat in'Gardez, the US troops opted to evacuate Khost and Kandahar too.

In order to ensure a safe pull-out from Khost, the US army had a curfew imposed by the puppet provincial government. In the wee hours of Monday last, all routes to and from Khost and Kandahar were sealed off, with no one allowed to enter or exit the city. The provincial administration asked the people to keep the shops and bazaars closed because a house-search would be conducted to recover the illegal weapons. No such operation was conducted.

The US troops had a fear that they would be attacked if they

moved without a curfew imposed. The US military officials had asked the local administration to impose a curfew in the whole city on the pretext of launching an arms recovery campaign.

Endorsing the pull-out reports, a top US commander said that troops were withdrawn from the embattled city only to avoid any further casualties of the soldiers, keep their morals high and prepare them for fighting the mujahideen after regrouping.

Meanwhile, reports from Argon say that five US soldiers were killed in an attack in Sarobi area.

The sources said the attack was carried out five days ago but it could not be known immediately.

Hospitals in Gardez overcrowded with injured fighters

(Click on the Image to Enlarge)

GARDEZ: Americans and their Afghan hirelings suffered heavy life and property losses during the fighting in Gardez. The'hospitals of Gardez are overflowing with Afghan fighters. This

told by the doctors of a hospital in Gardez to our correspondent

GARDEZ (Afghanistan): Sitting in an old fort on a hill above Gardez, an Afghan commander said on Saturday tribal rivals were misleading the United States and using the US-led war as a way to further private agendas and feuds.

Commander Ziauddin's comments highlight the complexity of tribal dynamics in an area where the United States is leading a ground offensive with Afghan fighters against Taliban and Al-Qaida forces holed up in rugged, snowcapped mountains.

The fight involves a mix of Afghans, Pakistani, Chechen and Arab Afghans and Al Qaida rebels against the United States and its allies. Commander. Ziauddin said villagers in the area supported the former ruling Taliban and had voiced opposition to the American campaign.

"We could have stopped this fighting, but unfortunately there were some people misleading the Americans," said Commander Ziauddin. "Even now if Americans stop their war we are able to establish contacts with them and resolve the issue peacefully." The commander, sporting a long beard and Afghan cap, says he has the largest local Afghan force in the area with about 2,500 fighters, none of them in the US campaign.

Some surrounded him on the hilltop, apparently the highest point in Gardez, some 150km south of the capital Kabul. Commander Ziauddin said Afghans who joined the fight alongside the Americans had either turned themselves into mercenaries or acted to meet a private agenda or tribal loyalties.

The US has recruited Afghan fighters from Khost and Paktia provinces and trained them for the fighting, paying them about $200 a month.

"As for the campaign, there are some Afghans but they are not real fighters," Commander Ziauddin said. "Some fight to gain high positions, and others to receive some $200 which has made many people who were once friends become enemies."

Divisions among rival leaders and longing bloodshed after the 1989 Soviet withdrawal were among the reasons why Mulla Muhammad 'Omar and the Taliban launched their war in 1994.

Feuding among tribes in the Gardez area is common. Last month, 50 people were killed in fighting when government-appointed governor Padshah Khan Zadran's forces were forced out of the town by rival commander Haji Saifullah.

The violence highlighted the interim Kabul administration's challenge in uniting a country divided into rival clan-and tribe-based fiefdoms. There have been accusations that US forces

have been misled by rival leaders keen on settling private scores. Saifullah accused Mr Zadran of calling for US strikes on a convoy of the area's tribal elders who were on their way to Kabul to attend the inauguration of interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai in December.

More than 60 people were killed in the raid which Washington said was targeted at followers of the Taliban and the Al Qaida network of Osama bin Laden.

KANDAHAR: Mujahideen have intensified their guerrilla; activities against America in the whole of Afghanistan, especially in Kandahar, Gardez, Khost and Logar. American casualties are increasing by the day. Many American planes and helicopters have been destroyed and Americans are now running away. Local Afghan fighters have lost American trust.

Famous guerrilla commander Mulla Saif-ur-Rahman Mansoor ambushed and killed 17 American soldiers and 40 Afghan hirelings. American troops are now losing their sleep out of fear of a sudden attack.

According to the VoA (Voice of America) radio one American soldiers was reported as saying that he would never tell his mother about what is happening to Americans in Afghanistan as it would make her worry.

Recently, an American army vehicle was blown away by a rocket attack by unknown people killing eight American, including a major. Sources claim that the arsenal depot near Kandahar, did not catch fire, but was attacked; three Americans were killed in this incident.

According to the sources America is not allowing confirmed reports of its casualties due to the guerrilla attacks by the mujahideen to reach the media. According to the latest reports, the distribution of night-letters, frequent quarrels and rumours of a big attack have forced Gul Agha, the Governor of Kandahar, to go underground. And now as Americans have lost trust upon Afghans, they themselves now patrol outside Kandahar airport. The fighters of Gul Agha have fled to Chaman and are telling openly about the guerrilla attacks of the mujahideen. Every passing day sees attacks on Kandahar airport by missiles, bombs and machine guns.

People of Kandahar told our correspondent that in the beginning Americans used to have their pictures taken with them, but now they have abandoned this practise and are no more seen in the city. They said that the Americans have also stopped patrolling the streets at night and during the day time also they take great precautions.

Kandahar, Logar and Gardez are becoming graveyards for the Americans. According to the local people, nearly 180 dead bodies of Americans and Afghan hirelings were lifted in Gardez.

LONDON: American and allied forces fighting the Taliban and Arab mujahideen in Gardez, capital of 'the eastern Afghan province of Paktia, have fallen prey to various diseases. According to the BBC, American and allied troops fighting in Gardez have fallen prey to various diseases due to the high attitude of the place.

Independent sources say that at a time when ground war has entered into a crucial phase, the illness of allied forces has become a source of concern for healthy soldiers. The health problems are causing loss of morale among the troops and they are looking for excusing • to run away from these dangerous and barren mountains. Meanwhile, some people are calling this illness of allied forces as Divine help for the mujahideen.

According to the BBC, American authorities have said that some of the American soldiers who have fatten ill have been sent back from the front, while others are, being treated.

It should be kept in mind that these areas of eastern Afghanistan are at a height of 3000m from sea level, due to which the climate here is very cold and unfavourable. It is being thought that this intense cold is the reason for the illness of the American soldiers.

1000 fighters-reach Gardez from Kabul

GARDEZ: According to reliable sources 1000 fighters of Northern Alliance, along with 20 tanks, have reached Gardez from Kabul.

According to details since fighting against America has erupted in Afghanistan, many tribal people have been killed due to which hatred and anger against America is increasing among the local population. Uptil now America had been hiring local fighters to fight against the mujahideen, but after suffering heavy losses at the hands of the mujahideen in Gardez, the local Afghan fighters are no longer ready to side with America. Therefore, after refusal by the local fighters, America has asked for help from the fighters of the Northern Alliance. But analysts say that if the fighters of Northern Alliance join American troops in Gardez then the tribal people of Gardez will take sides with the mujahideen because many local young men are still held prisoners by the Northern Alliance which is carrying out atrocities against them.

PESHAWAR: Commenting upon stiff resistance being faced by American and its allied forces against Taliban and Al-Qaeda members in Paktia, expert on Afghan affairs Rahimullah Yousufzai said 'In this fight America announced its victory before time without gauging the power of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda members, eventhough there are still many areas in Afghanistan where Taliban and their supporters are present, especially in southern and eastern Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Khost there are many supporters of the Taliban. Now the Taliban are gathering in the old mujahid centre of Shah-i-Kot from these three provinces where Saif-ur-Rahman Mansoor is their commander.'

Rahimullah Yousufzai said the number of mujahideen might be in

hundreds not in thousands, but American and its allied forces, opposing Taliban and al-Qaeda, numbering nearly 3000 have been bombing for a week, and are also using latest weapons, but the resistance offered by the Taliban is still continuing.

Rahimullah Yousufzai said America wasn't expecting such stiff resistance and have become worried by it. He said America and its allied forces have now cordoned off the entire area but the Taliban and al-Qaeda members are getting local aid, and it is due to this local help that they are putting up such stiff resistance. He said America used excessive power in this fight, but it has suffered heavy losses. He said America might have to face such resistance in other parts of Afghanistan even. He said American claim that Taliban have been completely finished was not true.

America itself commanding battle in Gardez

GARDEZ: America hired the services of local commanders against the long war with Taliban and Arab Mujahideen in Toora Bora, but when it failed to capture any Taliban or Arab Mujahideen after many days of intense bombing it started blaming local commanders Haji Zaman and Hazrat "Mi, etc that they took money from America to fight against Arab Mujahideen and to arrest them and hand them over to America, but later they also

took money from Arab Mujahideen and

allowed them to escape.

GARDEZ: Mujahideen freed nearly 70 Afghan hirelings captured during the historic guerrilla operation against the Americans in Gardez.

According to the special sources of our correspondent, Mujahideen took away weapons, provided by America from these Afghan fighters who had sold their faith for a few bucks; they also took away their warm jackets and shoes. Mujahideen provided slippers and common dresses to these Afghan hirelings and freed them.

The Mujahideen tried to awake up the national pride and dead conscience of these Afghan fighters during the time they were held prisoners by them and also sent a special message to Hamid Karzai, head of the interim Afghan administration, through them. Mujahideen took oath from them that in future they would not become American agents against their Muslim brethren and would utilize their lives for the eradication of Kufr instead to shedding blood of their Muslim brothers.

Afghan Defence officials ordered to shave beards

Kabul: General Asif Dilawar, in pursuance of the directions of the Defence Minister of the Afghan Interim government, General Fahim has issued orders to all the departments working under the Defence ministry to make sure that

or trimmed them quite snort.

According to some credible sources, the notification issued said that one found violating the directive shall deserve stern punishment.

Moreover, puppet authorities in

administrations in many parts of me country to make compulsory for pupils enrolled in the school to wear uniforms. The government uniform consists of pants, shirts and a tie. For girls, the government has ordered to put off head-scarves and veils.

ISLAMABAD: 25 Mujahideen embraced Shahadah during tierce clashes with American and its allied forces in the eastern Afghan province of Paktia.

A spokesman of Mulla Saifulla Mansoor, commander of the Mujahideen fighting guerrilla war against America in Arma Mountains in Gardez, told AIP (Afghan Islamic Press) that uptil only 25 mujahideen had attained the exalted state of Shahadah during fighting with American forces. The spokesman ..told that there are only Taliban fighting in Gardez and that there' are no foreigners fighting along 'with

them.

'Ameer-ul-Mu'mineen is our leader and we are in constant contact with him,' he said. The spokesman said that the Taliban have started operations against the Americans in southern provinces as well as in the eastern provinces of Afghanistan. He further stated that the attack on Khost airport was carried out by them.

The spokesman, on behalf of the Taliban commander Mulla Saifullah Mansoor, urged the Muslims to stand up against the oppressive and occupying American forces so that like Russia, a humiliating defeat could be inflicted upon the Americans too.

50 top officials including 15 Americans killed

PESHAWAR : Fifty top officials of allied forces in Afghanistan have been reported to be killed in the six US helicopters destroyed a few days

ago at Gardez, a centre of Paktia province. Out of 50 casualties, 15 were American officials while the rest belonged to other western countries. According-to sources the officials were on a mission to draw war-maps when they fell prey to the guerilla operation led by mujahid commander Saifur Rahman Mansoor.

The reports received from some highly credible sources and eyewitnesses revealed that Commander Saif-ur-Rahman Mansoor had nabbed 60 US troops and 300 Afghan agents during the recent American aggression in Gardez, however the number of casualties in the encounter could not be ascertained yet.

Commander Saifur Rahman claimed that he had 300 men ready to launch suicide attacks, sources told our correspondent. He added that he was able to capture Kabul with great ease but due to war strategy, was waiting for better opportunities. He said in determination that he would get hold of Kabul at an appropriate time.

KARACHI: In the ongoing expedition of the US and its allies against the Taliban Islamic movement in Afghanistan, since October 7, 2001 to March 10, 2002, twenty-five US helicopters and planes have been destroyed. However the US ministry for defence 'Pentagon', trying hard to keep its losses from the world, has conceded the destruction of only seven aircrafts, though giving false .causes of technical fault or bad weather: The pictures of the

destroyed aircrafts shown by some independent media is undeniable proof of blatant American lies.

In this connection a special report say that over 100 US commandoes were killed in the destruction of 25 aircrafts, while 6 helicopters were destroyed with the just beginning of guerilla war against the US aggression last week. Moreover 89 US troops including 50 top officials were killed and 60 were captured by the mujahideen during the week. . ;.

Mujahid Commander Saifur Rahman Mansoor claimed that he had captured 60 US troops and their 300 Afghan allies during their aggression in Gardez.

On the other hand some unidentified armed people in Logar province fired a rocket on 8 allied troops including five Americans patrolling in the area, killing all on the spot.

The earlier reports received from' Kandahar had revealed that five' American commandos were found missing mysteriously.

GARDEZ: Reliable sources have disclosed the US Defence authorities have offered to negotiate with the Mujahideen and make some exchange deal to free 18 US soldiers, captured by the Mujahideen.

These arrested US soldiers include at least two senior high ranking officers. It is believed that the US troops withdrew from the Operation Anaconda because its concerns for the fate of 18 prisoners.

Moreover, a French soldier was killed

in Kabul airport, as he was trying to neutralize what believes to be an unexploded shell or bomb. It is unclear whether the device had been planted or not. This is the second incident in a week involving the occupying forces in Kabul.

Previously, five of the international troops stationed at Kabul were killed, whilst trying to neutralize a booby trapped explosive device.

In a separate incident, a trustworthy commander of the interim government, Baseer Salangi, along with a contingent of 1000 Afghan soldiers in order to assist

US operations in Gardez was captured by the Taliban and Al-Qaida Mujahideen. Commander Baseer Salangi was captured along with 32 of his militiamen.

Consequently, morale of the pro-US Afghan troops shattered, retreating from their positions and fleeing from the front line.

Apart from western media claims of a tactical retreat, the Northern Alliance troops flee was forced when their leader was captured and his loyal troops refused to fight against the Mujahideen.

LENDASTOL: The US marines who were injured in the recent encounters with the mujahideen led by Commander Saifur Rahman Mansoor in the eastern Afghanistan and are now getting treatment at Lendastol, Germany revealed that mujahideen roared with laughter even during fierce battles.

Whenever the allied troops get entangled in fighting with Taliban and Alqaida warriors and get injured with the bullets fired by them, the mujahideen let out a loud guffaw, which resounds in the mountains for a long time, said one of the wounded soldiers. The Taliban and Al-Qaida militia are showering bullets from very high altitudes, they added. It is

worth-mentioning here that in order to exterminate Taliban and Al-Qaida elements, the US troops had landed on hazardous mountain ranges and trails but on facing severe resistance from the mujahideen, they fled the area leaving several of their troops dead and injured.

The other US helicopters sent to rescue the injured were also forced to retreat as they encountered intense firing of mortar shells by the valourous and dauntless mujahideen. A few of the injured troops including the three who narrated the terrible story at the US military medical cure center in Lendastol, Germany could manage to escape from the area and were later shifted to the hospital.

We were able to hear them laughing at us quite clearly", twenty-year-old Wine Stanton of Rockdodtency said. Tensy who is now walking with crutches cast a wistful glance at his feet and said, "Whenever we fired on them they let out guffaws at us. They were 2000 feet higher than us. Whenever our planes or helicopters arrived to attack they covered themselves somewhere in caves."

Robert Maclvan ,25, of California said he was quite frightened as a piece of mortar shell pierced through his thigh ejecting a shower of blood from his body. I saw many others with oozing blood from their bodies too, he said.

LOGAR: Unknown persons attacked a patrolling party in Logar province and killed eight security officials, including five American soldiers.

According to the details, unknown assailants ambushed the party when they were on their patrolling duty in their car. The assailants used rockets in the attacks. Three security officials of Karzai administration were also killed in the attacks. The dead include five American soldiers, including a senior American official.

It should be kept in mind that since a couple of weeks, attacks on American troops and officials of the interim administration in different Afghan province are on the rise.

Local Afghans

not ready to fight

for America

KHOST: Americans had started a campaign to hire local Afghans ob $200 per month to fight against the mujahideen. Many addicts and jobless Afghans had applied and were hired by the Americans. But our correspondent has come to known through reliable sources that due to the present circumstances in which American troops are being attacked on nearly daily basis and are suffering heavily, now the local Afghans are not ready to fight for the Americans on $200 per month.

Former Afghan King brands US-led war 'stupid and useless'

ROME: US-led war in Afghanistan came under attack from different parties on Thursday. The exiled king of Afghanistan denounced the campaign as "stupid and useless", as questions were raised in Germany about the role of its soldiers in Afghanistan after twp of them died and others were injured.

Mohammed Zahir Shah, exiled in Rome and due to return in two weeks, was interviewed by the Italian daily newspaper, La Stampa, published Thursday. He is to attend a meeting of tribal elders to decide the future of the war-torn nation. In the interview, he said the campaign should be called off.

"It is a stupid and useless war and it would be better to stop it immediately," the 87-year-old king said: "My people have always fought for freedom and democracy," he added.

Zahir Shah is in conflict with interim puppet Afghan leader Hamid Karzai, who wants the so-called anti-terror offensive to continue. Karzai told the US government on Tuesday that he wanted the operation to last as long as necessary. "We are not going to be seen to be impatient," Karzai said.

Zahir Shah is due to return to Afghanistan in the next few days in time for the Naurooz celebrations on March 21 which mark the beginning of the Afghan new year.

Meanwhile, the deaths of two German soldiers in Afghanistan has come as a sharp shock to Germany - a country still relatively new to international troop deployment.

Three Danish and two German soldiers died and eight others were injured while destroying two Russian-made SA-3 ground-to-air missiles at a munitions dump in the capital, Kabul.

Press comments after Wednesday's incident called for a more transparent policy by the German government - one which did not underplay the dangers of the soldiers' role or disguise what they

.were doing in Afghanistan.

"News of the (Kabul) deaths hit an unprepared public opinion," the Frankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung noted. "One had only just learned - by roundabout means - that German soldiers were not simply on police patrol in Afghanistan but engaged in the combat zones too," the German daily newspaper said pointedly.

"Now it proves that service in Kabul, is also more dangerous than one could have imagined," another paper, FAZ said.

•The paper added, "If the broad public support for the Afghanistan engagement turns into its opposite, that would not least be the result of an erroneous, information policy aimed at closing the eyes of public opinion to reality."

Die Welt, in an editorial entitled "The seriousness of the situation", said: "Now at last, everybody must be conscious of the high risk of the Bundeswehr's engagement in Afghanistan".

Withdrawal of the troops would give "a wrong signal", it said. "But the politicians must finally and clearly inform the public about what the Bundeswehr should be doing in Afghanistan and what it in fact can do," The Welt said.

The Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper used the occasion to express irritation about the lack of information on what the German military were doing in Afghanistan. It warned that the government was on "a dangerously short road" to a situation where Germany's engagement in the fight against terrorism escaped parliamentary control.

"It is precisely for that reason that the Defense Ministry's information policy is unsatisfactory. It is annoying... It is beginning to become dangerous for a red-green coalition already on shaky ground in security matters.

"A government that thinks it can hush up a growing political debate is naive," The Rundschau concluded.

KANDAHAR: According to reliable reports from Kandahar three battalions of American army have left Kandahar, whereas, more American troops are on the move. According to the sources, the Americans say that they are going to Baghram from Kandahar where they would proceed to Gardez.

Analysts term this going to Gardez through Baghram a strange strategy of the Americans as Gardez is near Kandahar, and to go to a near place through a long route seems foolish.

But sources close to Gul Agha, Governor of Kandahar, have disclosed

that the fact is that Americans are fleeing from Kandahar. It should be kept in mind that 4000 American troops were stationed in Kandahar and America had made its headquarters in Kandahar, with all of its weapons, helicopters and planes kept there.

The interesting thing is that the Baghram airport had been made its headquarters by the British forces from the very beginning and it is under the control of British troops. Uptil now all the statements issued by the Americans vis-a-vis Gardez fighting are conflicting and confusing.

Hekmatyar cmdr on a special task in Mazar

KABUL: A famous commander of Hizb-i-Islami has reached Mazar-i-Sharif on a special task from Gulbadin Hekmatyar.

According to the sources, commander Jumma Khan enjoys considerable influence in Mazar-i-Sharif and can create a lot of problems for the local administration. Commander Ghaffar and spokesman of Dostum have expressed their deep anxiety on his arrival.

Meanwhile, Commander Jumma Khan had told the BBC that he was not loyal to Hizb-i-Islami and had not come to Mazar on Hekmatyar's orders. He said that he came to Mazar-i-Sharif to work for the support of the interim government and the Loya Jirga.

'US presence in

Afghanistan unjustified', Sayyaf

KABUL: Head of Ittehad-i-Islami and former jihadi leader Ustad 'Abdul Rab Rasool Sayyaf has said that American presence in Afghanistan is unjustified as it came here to eliminate the Taliban and Al-Qaeda and they have been finished.

In an interview to a correspondent of Arabic newspaper 'Ash-Sharqul-Awsat' in Kabul Ustad Sayyaf said he feared that America's political and non-political opponents would be declared terrorists, therefore America should first define 'terrorism'.

KANDAHAR: A news item reported by the daily 'Islam' has been verified., The dead body of Habibullah Khan has reached Chaman.

According to the details, daily 'Islam' had published a news item a couple of days back about a bomb attacks at the Kandahar, airport in which three Americans had also died. But this news was not verified by other sources and some quarters were expressing their reservations about the authenticity of the published news item. But this news was proved to be true the other day when the dead body of one of those killed in that bomb attack reached his home in Chaman. Those accompanying the body told that Habibullah was killed in a bomb attack at Kandahar airport. They informed that three Americans and five Afghans were killed in that bomb attack.