Iranian radio broadcast tonight that a contingent of US armed forces were on the ground near the ancient city of Kandahar, known to be a stronghold of the Bin Laden group.

This is from the Thursday, October 18, 2001, morning edition: In other words, tomorrow!

Here's the address - [url]http://www.timesofindia.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=748993062[/url]

From The Times of India:

[size=4][b]US troops land near Kandahar: Iranian radio[/b][/size=4]

TEHRAN: US infantry landed from helicopters on Wednesday near Kandahar in southwest Afghanistan, stronghold of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and suspected terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden, Iranian state radio said.

"Informed sources report that US helicopters from the Pakistani-Afghan border have entered Afghan territory and deployed troops around Kandahar", a radio correspondent said. "It's the second part of the American operation on Afghan soil, which started this morning," it added.

The radio did not give an exact number of US troops to have disembarked or of helicopters used in the operation.

Iranian television later cited witnesses saying there were "exchanges of fire between Taliban forces and American soldiers near Kandahar."

However, neither Washington nor London would comment on any of the information, and the reports could not be independently confirmed.

Earlier on Wednesday, Britain's Tony Blair had hinted at an imminent use of ground troops in Afghanistan and ruled out a pause in military strikes.

He also said the US-dominated coalition was now giving more active help to the opposition Northern Aliance forces fighting the Taliban.

Blair said the bombing campaign had inflicted "heavy damage" on the ruling Taliban's command and control centres, air defences, radars, missile sites and aircraft, and to bin Laden's al-Qaeda.

[b]It appears the ground war may have begun![/b]

Eric The(LordBeWithOurArmedSevicesThisDay!Amen!)Hun[>]:)]

God, I hope its a cake walk.

Bless all those guys.

If true, this is amazing.  The USA is attacked on 9-11-01 and within 5 weeks our air forces have devastated the armed forces of a foreign power on the other side of the world and landed troops on their territory.  

Pray for our troops.

GunLvr

God bless our boys on the ground
and may the fire power of the AC-130
watch over them.

I'm so glad nothing is being televised or reported here......yet.

i'm scared for our boys if they aren't there in large numbers.  what was nice about the gulf war was the overwhelming use of force, i mean they just tore saddam a new A-hole.  i wish they'd just tear afghanistan limb from limb.

God Bless.  May God Almighty be with our MEN.

Is this the assault force that was positioned for the attack??

[url]http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,36697,00.html[/url]

Eric The(WhoKnows,WhoKnows,AndYetBushLeavesTownTheveryDay-MaybeHe'sFlyingAirCombatPatrol!)Hun[>]:)]

Here; hoping our boys don't have to deal with Military Political Officers advisiing them one and who not to shoot!

This story may be a decoy. Lets just hold on and see what happens.

Or it could just be special operations for hit and run missions, just to keep the Taliban off balance.

We'll see.

Eric The(EverWatchful,C'mon,TheTimesOfIndia,ForCryingOutLoud!)Hun[>]:)]

Here's an updated version of the original story from Pakistan News :
[url]http://www.paknews.com/main.php?id=7&date1=2001-10-18[/url]

[size=3][b]US troops land near Kandahar: Iranian radio[/b][/size=3]
Updated on 2001-10-18 13:17:20

TEHRAN, October 18 (PNS): US infantry is reported to have landed through helicopters near Kandahar in south-west Afghanistan, the stronghold of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden,

"Informed sources report that US helicopters from the Pakistani-Afghan border have entered Afghan territory and deployed troops around Kandahar," an Iranian state radio correspondent said.

[b]No other details were given and the report could not be independently confirmed. End.[/b]

Probably just a firefight from some Spec. Ops. mission.

Eric The(Lord,IHopeEveryone'sSafe)Hun[>]:)]

God bless America....My prayers are with the men and women of our armed force.

Go get them!

AP reports today interviewed deserters from the Taliban.

The bad guys decided Spectre was enough for them.
[smoke]
"I would rather switch than fight"