The United States has announced a major joint operation, targeting al-Qaida training camps in remote Shorabak district, Kandahar province.
One of the two al-Qaida training camps was really big.
One of the two camps was so big that it covered almost 30 square miles, an indication that al Qaeda’s presence in Afghanistan is far more significant than US officials have claimed in the past.
US military strikes large al Qaeda training camps in southern Afghanistan, Bill Roggio and Thomas Joscelyn, Long War Journal
The military operation against the training camps was very big too.
“This is one of the largest joint ground-assault operations we have ever conducted in Afghanistan,” said U.S. spokesman Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner in a statement.
US, Afghan forces raid al Qaeda training sites, Kristina Wong, The Hill
Khaama Press says that U.S. forces were involved on the ground.
The assault team was comprised of more than 200 Afghan and U.S. servicemembers who navigated through difficult terrain and cleared two targeted areas.
Afghan, US forces destroy al-Qaeda training sites in Kandahar, Khaama Press
CNN that Americans were only in the air.
U.S. airstrikes and Afghan ground forces dismantled al Qaeda training sites in southern Afghanistan over five days in one of the largest joint operations the two countries have undertaken, the U.S. military said Tuesday.
Al Qaeda sites in Afghanistan dismantled in joint operation, U.S. military says, Nick Paton Walsh, Jason Hanna, and Mark Morgenstein, CNN
It might be
remembered, here, that two United States Air Force ground-air controllers were killed returning from a mission in Helmand, in August.
The military, in bringing up al-Qaida training camps in Afghanistan, would like you to remember other things instead. For example, that we are still fighting them over there so we do not have to fight them here.
[Gen. John F. Campbell said] “We continue to protect our fellow Americans at home by fighting al-Qaeda here."
Afghan, US forces destroy al-Qaeda training sites in Kandahar, Khaama Press
The last time I remember al-Qaida training camps being targeted in Kandahar was back when they were also talking about all the anthrax.
Well, maybe it was down in the desert of Kandahar. Or maybe the al-Qaida laboratory to produce anthrax was up in the mountains near Gardez. I forget how that story goes. And they forgot how that story goes too.
The reference to the laboratory south of Gardez may be a garbled account of the new assessment by the Central Command about the laboratory near Kandahar. It is possible that the assessment was disclosed in London to strengthen the case to the British public for sending British combat troops to Afghanistan.
U.S. Says It Found Qaeda Lab Being Built to Produce Anthrax, Michael R. Gordon, New York Times, March 2002
The current news about the military operation against the al-Qaida training camp in Kandahar comes as the military is trying to strengthen the case to the American public for keeping higher troops levels in Afghanistan.
So, about our 14-year war in Afghanistan, the military would like to say to you: al-Qaida, remember them?
The announcement ... serves as a reminder that al-Qaida remains a threat in this country despite 14 years of war against the organization that staged the 9/11 attacks.
Joint US-Afghan operation targets al-Qaida in southern Afghanistan, Josh Smith, Stars and Stripes
Also, about this large military operation recently conducted against al-Qaida in Afghanistan, you might want to
Now, thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, our combat mission in Afghanistan is ending, and the longest war in American history is coming to a responsible conclusion.
Statement by the President on the End of the Combat Mission in Afghanistan, White House
forget that.
In other Afghan news, Jihadi leaders have formed a security commission.
Former Jihadi leader Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf, former defense minister Bismillah Mohammadi, former Jihadi leader and former vice president Mohammad Yunus Qanuni, former Jihadi leader and ex-minister of water and energy Mohammad Esmail Khan and other prominent Jihadi leaders and heads of political parties are members of the council.
Jihadi Leaders Form Commission To Help Security, Anisa Shaheed, Tolo News
The Jihadi leaders would like the Jihadi forces to maintain security in Afghanistan.
They have also formed a commission to discuss the participation of Jihadi forces (public forces) to help maintain security in the country.
Anyone would know that Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf was bringing this about.
"The issue of chairmanship of this council has not been discussed yet but it is obvious that Ustad Sayyaf arranged the meeting." [said Daud Kalakani]
About the plan to bring in the Jihadi forces, they would like to forget
the history of Jihadi forces in Kunduz.
As well as the history of Jihadi forces in Kabul. Which is, in part, the history of Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf.
Another part of his history being the time he brought Osama bin Laden to Afghanistan, and ran the terrorist training camps. Remember that?