STAGING GROUND: U.S. Chinook helicopters fly over eastern Afghanistan
Casualties Grow and the War Isn't Over Yet
The fiercest fighting so far has killed eight U.S. soldiers as well as hundreds of al-Qaeda and Taliban loyalists. The U.S.-led Operation Anaconda, the offensive in the eastern mountains, has met strong resistance. Al-Qaeda suffered heavy losses, but it was bolstered by reinforcements after local leaders "called a jihad," said U.S. Major General Frank Hagenbeck, the operation's commander. Local rivalries have further frustrated the coalition. Padshah Khan, a tribal leader allied to the U.S., wants control of Gardez, the provincial capital, and has threatened to attack rival allied...
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