War bogging down

The fierce U.S. bombardment of Taliban and al-Qaeda targets in eastern Afghanistan is a stark reminder that the war against terror in that blighted country is still far from over. The aerial strikes are aimed at supporting what is believed to be the largest ground offensive since the war in Afghanistan began.

The U.S. is contemplating further air strikes and has used the devastating thermobaric fuel bomb for the first time, a laser- guided device that can penetrate deep underground and destroy bunkers and caves. Meanwhile, troops loyal to interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai are also engaged in a showdown with al-Qaeda fighters in Logar province, suggesting that the mopping up of remnants of the Taliban regime is going to be a long and arduous affair.

With speculation rife that the U.S. plans to take its war against terrorism to Iraq, there is a growing . . . awareness even within the U.S. that it is easier to start a war than get out of it.

-- Dawn, Karachi