Asia Times Writer Syed Saleem Shahzad Embeds With The Taliban in Kunar Province - Part I

 I'm posting this for a couple of reasons.  I think the reporter may have been embeded with the Taliban during "Operation Rock Penetrator".  I'm also posting it because of the way Mr. Shahzad desribes his treking up and down and through the mountainous area just as so many platoons and companies of the 173rd ABCT have been doing for over a year now.  And of course I find it "interesting" to hear the Taliban report that they are winning.  Hmmmm.  I'm not going to jump on that wagon and ride it.

I'll post Part II in a few days.

From The Asia Times On Line

Ducking and diving under B-52s
By Syed Saleem Shahzad

May 22, 2008

KUNAR VALLEY, Afghanistan - When a United States Predator drone launched missiles at a militant hideout in the town of Damadolah in Pakistan's Bajaur Agency last week, it underscored the area's emergence as a crucial battlefield in the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan, and even in the "war on terror".

The tribal area that borders the Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nooristan is said to be the hiding ground of al-Qaeda kingpins Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri and their confidants, and it serves as a vital corridor for the Taliban.

Last week's drone attack was the third of its kind, indicating that US intelligence is closely monitoring the area, acutely aware of its importance. The strike had some success, taking out two senior al-Qaeda leaders - Sheikh Osman, know for his amputated hand, and Sheikh Soliman. However, a famous Taliban commander, Dost Muhammad, escaped unhurt.The heavyweight al-Qaeda members had traveled to Damadolah to instruct a select group of Taliban leaders in the safe use of satellite telephones.

Sheikh Osman in particular was a big loss. He was wanted by the US for his role in al-Qaeda's global operations as the right-hand man of Dr Junaid al-Jazeri, pin-pointed by Washington as the main engine behind al-Qaeda's strategies in North Africa and Europe. (Two years ago, in another drone attack on Damadolah, Zawahiri apparently narrowly escaped death after leaving a dinner party early.)

There is fierce debate over how the drone was able to target Damadolah. Pakistani opposition parties allege that Islamabad played a key role in providing intelligence. But the issue is not as simple as that, as will emerge.

Unlike in Helmand province, in Kunar the Taliban do not independently run districts. However, among the craggy outcrops and lush green forests, they have established safe havens and also have the support of large sections of the population. This allows the Taliban to maintain an edge against the American forces in the area by launching daily attacks on their bases, as well as those of the Afghan National Army and intelligence centers.

Kunar and Nooristan provinces also serve as the start of a natural route up to the northeastern province of Kapisa, from where, ultimately, the Taliban hope to enter into Kabul. All regional intelligence agencies are certain that bin Laden and Zawahiri are still in this area. The US considers it pivotal for the success of the "war on terror". The Taliban on the other hand have built all their resources all around this region.

And neither side wants to give up ground.

Deep in the corridor
An arduous overnight trek on foot from Bajaur Agency took us to the Sarkano district of Kunar province. The route followed the Nawa Pass - a tough climb - which has become a daily flashpoint between the Taliban and US forces.

While I was heaving with the effort, my slim Taliban guide glided along effortlessly, despite lugging an AK-47 rifle and ammunition, and much of my baggage.

"To me, this is a journey of a few hours, for you it is an eight-hour journey," said Ibrahim, a resident of Kunar province. He confided later that he had thought that after the first stiff climb my passion to cover Taliban country would have been extinguished. There were indeed moments, on some of the treacherous stony paths where one slip in the moonlight would have sent me tumbling hundreds of meters into a vast valley, that I considered the wisdom of the journey.

"Wake up, a mujahideen center is only 20 minutes away. You can take a rest when we get there," Ibrahim cried as I tried to take a five-minute snooze on some hard rocks. I knew that his 20 minutes was at least one hour for me, and that is how it turned out. But after hours of walking I was dehydrated, and simply had to stop and refresh myself from a stream running down the side of a mountain.

"Where is this center?" I asked Ibrahim after a while, as all I could see were the outlines of mountains and dense clumps of trees.

"It is five minutes away. Very near," Ibrahim responded. And then I realized the magic of this terrain. Either in daylight or at night, one can suddenly discover a mud house, safely concealed in the shadows of the mountains and the jungle.

We had arrived at a Taliban safe house. A bed of dried grass in a small room with mud walls was more comfortable than any five-star hotel and I slept for three hours until I was awakened by Ibrahim for morning prayers.

As we started a breakfast of dried bread and tea, two Taliban joined us. "Our camp will be joined by several groups and we will carry out an attack tonight," one of them said, without giving details.

"We will place you at a height in a secure place from where you will be able to cover the event," the other man said. Neither gave their names, only saying that they belonged to "Shah Khalid's" camp.

As dawn broke, we resumed our journey.

"Saleem, we have to hurry and pass through this terrain before the sun rises. Once the sun is up, people will spot you as a stranger, and a few houses here have informers for the Americans," Ibrahim chided as I stopped to eat some fruit from a mulberry tree.

"A few days ago, we killed an informer. But there are still many because of poverty. The Americans can easily pay US$1,000 for ordinary information. This is a huge amount of money for them, they can do anything with it," Ibrahim said.

Read the rest of the story here.