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COVER STORY: AFGHANISTAN
Power Centre In His Own Right
An upcoming leader
is the lean, lanky and clean-shaven engineer Arif Khan, the interior minister.
A former army commander, he now controls the intelligence wings. Abdullah
is the third head of the troika that controls the front. He was until
recently considered a political lightweight, but with the action shifting
to the UN and the international forum, he is emerging as a power centre
in his own right.
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PRISONERS OF WAR: Captured Taliban soldiers at a prison
in Panjshir Valley
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The front's forces get their equipment and money
mainly from Russia and Iran who for years have supported the anti-Taliban
efforts. Masood's forces, which number around 10,000, control the northern
extremes, including the strategically located Panjshir Valley and Badakhshan
province where the front's capital Faizabad is situated. It is currently
battling the Taliban on two fronts: the Shomali plains just 50 km from
Kabul and near Talukhan where its military headquarters Khwaja Bahuddin
is located.
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MEN-IN-ARMS: THE THREE ELITE
US FORCES THAT CAN BE USED TO FIND BIN LADEN
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The hunt for Terror International's CEO
Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan's rugged terrain could easily see
the largest deployment of the US special forces since the Vietnam
War
GREEN BERETS
Officially called the 7th Special Operations Group, this elite force
has fought in Korea and led guerrilla operations deep in north Vietnam
and Laos. There are five brigade-sized groups of around 1,000 troops
each. Specialists in guerrilla warfare, they can operate independently
after being infiltrated deep inside enemy lines.
UTILITY: Can be used for ambushes
and raids inside Afghanistan to disrupt the Taliban war machine.
RANGERS
Elite US rapid-deployment force trained in all types of warfare.
Capable of rapid infantry assaults as well as special operations
in varied climates and terrain. This light infantry group specialises
in capturing airports. There are five battalions of 1,000 men each.
UTILITY: Can be called in for
fighting within cities, large frontal assaults or capturing or destroying
key installations like airbases.
DELTA FORCE
Secretive counter-terrorist unit raised for operations outside the
US. Officially called the US Army's 1st Special Forces Operational
Detachment-Delta, candidates are drawn from other special forces
groups like the Rangers. In the Gulf War, they were used in "Scud
hunts" to track and destroy mobile missile launchers.
UTILITY: Can be used to storm
hideouts and capture bin Laden and his key lieutenants once they
are located by satellite and other surveillance methods.
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The front has also allied with the forces headed
by Abdul Rashid Dostum in the Samangan region. Dostum, another legendary
commander, returned in May after years of living in exile and is making
a bid to recapture Mazar-e-Sharif. The other major force is the respected
former governor Ismail Khan in Herat. The unreliable Dostum and the more
credible Khan operate autonomously but depend on Masood's forces for replenishment
of arms.
The front's forces are weak in ground armour
such as tanks and also in the air. It has a couple of strike aircraft
but they need to be repaired. Of its eight helicopters, only two have
attack capability. This is the main reason why its sphere of influence
is confined to the mountains. On the plains, the Taliban is far superior
and Kandahar remains impregnable. That is where the US forces are expected
to concentrate their attack.
There are major stumbling blocks for the front
to head any future Afghan government. Pakistan is strongly opposed to
the front and has used its lack of Pashtun-who comprise 60 per cent of
the population-representation to warn the Americans that it isn't a viable
option.
That is the main reason why Shah, a Pashtun who
enjoys the respect of the community, is being brought back.
The US would also be wary of a front that may
be more amenable to control by Russia and Iran and ill-disposed towards
Pakistan. It could sow the seeds of a fresh round of instability in the
region.
Then the US promise for a sustained war against
terrorism may take an altogether new meaning.
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