Time October 15, 2001
Firepower and Food
In a two-pronged offensive, the U.S. is coordinating a massive air drop of food and medicine with a strike at Taliban and al-Qaeda forces
Iran's Largesse
Having long supported the fighters of the Northern Alliance,
Iran is now also allowing international humanitarian relief
flights
Oman Port
The U.S. has been given access to a modern air base just off the
coast of Oman
Naval Buildup
The U.S. has dispatched a fourth aircraft carrier--the Kitty
Hawk--to the region to serve as a floating base for ground troops
Uzbekistan Base
This former Soviet state opened an airfield for U.S.
search-and-rescue teams--but not attack forces. The Pentagon
sent the first 1,000 troops at week's end
Special Ops
U.S. commandos are reported to have made reconnaissance sorties
in Taliban-controlled territory
Gone to Ground
Anticipating U.S. strikes, Taliban leader Mohammed Omar has
reportedly left his headquarters in Kandahar and joined Taliban
fighters in their mountain retreats
Food Convoys
The U.N. was running trucks full of food into northern
Afghanistan, but was blocked from distributing relief supplies
in Kandahar
Taliban Tremors
Commanders of Taliban forces in three provinces have reportedly
made contact with the opposition. Will they switch sides?
War Preparations
Buoyed by an infusion of new troops and weapons, Northern
Alliance forces seemed to be preparing for a new offensive
against Kabul or Mazar-i-Sharif
Sources: U.S. Air Force, United Nations, Associated Press, Reuters, Jane's Information Group, Trouble Spots: The World Atlas of Strategic Information, GlobalSecurity.org, U.S. Department of Defense
BOX STORY:
HOW TO DROP A FOOD PACKAGE
As long as Taliban air defenses are operational, U.S. relief planes will be forced to drop food from high altitudes, risking damage to the goods and injuries to civilians.
--One solution is to drop packages that break up as they fall. C-17 aircraft are loaded with refrigerator-size cardboard boxes filled with hundreds of "culturally neutral" rations.
--The box is tethered to the plane. When the line snaps tight, the cardboard rips apart and the lighter packets drift to the ground.
BOX STORY:
ETHNIC SPLITS
Most of Afghanistan is a sparsely populated patchwork of ethnic tribes that have been fighting outsiders and one another for centuries. The vast majority of its 26 million people--nearly the population of California--live in the countryside.
Pashtun
The leadership of the Taliban--and nearly all its popular
support--comes from the Pashtun, the country's largest ethnic
group. They speak Pashtu and are dominated by the Durrani and
Ghilzai tribes
NORTHERN ALLIANCE GROUPS
The forces fighting the Taliban draw their support primarily
from the Tajik, Hazara and Uzbek minorities. They speak Dari and
Turkic
Tajik 25%
Hazara 19%
Uzbek 6%
Copyright 2001 Time Inc.
