The attack demonstrated that the United States intends to take on the considerable risks of a ground campaign in its effort to track down and destroy the leaders of the Taliban government and Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terrorist network.
The attack was likely the opening move in what will be a series of ground confrontations with a force that, though relatively small, has a fearsome reputation.
Move Designed to Have Maximum Effect
In targeting Kandahar, the assault was clearly calibrated to have maximum effect on the adversary. The United States has in recent days stepped up a psychological campaign intended to frighten the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and to encourage dissident groups to join U.S. forces and their allies in the Afghan opposition.
But the Taliban quickly dismissed the raid's effectiveness.
"There was no casualty from our side, and, like the aerial attacks, the U.S. commando offensive too has been foiled," Education Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told Reuters today.
"Around 12 o'clock [local time] last night several U.S. helicopters carrying commandos landed on Baba Sahib mountain to the west of Kandahar city," Muttaqi said.
"Simultaneously, the Taliban approached there and forced them to flee back by firing at them," he said.
The account could not be independently confirmed.
Top U.S. officials have been hinting for days that a ground attack could come soon, and they have acknowledged privately that small Special Forces teams have been moving in the country on reconnaissance and target-selection missions.
Although officials gave few details Friday night, their willingness to leak the outline of the strikes suggested that they want to show Americans and their coalition partners--in the Middle East and elsewhere--that they are serious about what Gen. Richard B. Myers, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, described Thursday as the most important U.S. military mission since World War II.
Army Rangers are customarily used to accompany smaller Special Forces commando teams in assaults. The commandos are highly trained specialists who carry out kidnapping or killing missions. The more heavily armed Rangers provide a valuable backup force, in much the same way that city police patrol officers might accompany SWAT teams.
Rangers worked with Special Forces teams, for example, in the 1993 attacks in Somalia.
Airstrikes Increased Before Ground Attack
