WASHINGTON (Islamweb & News Agencies) - A top Pentagon official said Wednesday he was surprised by the determination of Taliban forces but stressed that the U.S.-led assaults would continue until the Taliban government is toppled.U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John Stufflebeem said the Taliban are "tough warriors" who are operating in an environment with which they are very familiar.
"I am a bit surprised at how doggedly they're hanging on to power. For [Taliban leader] Mullah Omar to not see the inevitability of what will happen surprises me. We are prepared to take however long is required to bring the Taliban down," he said.
U.S. warplanes struck targets near the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the front lines north of the city. Heavy bombing also resumed Wednesday in the southern Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, according to reports from the Arabic-language TV satellite network Al Jazeera. (Read photo caption below)
PHOTO CAPTION:
A U.S. Navy F/A18 Hornet launches from the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2001. The Roosevelt is currently operating in the Arabian Sea and is one of the many ships involved in the attacks in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/David Longstreath)